How important is it for a girl to be brave? Does she need courage to pursue her dreams? To think big? To stand up for her beliefs and for what’s right? What does it take to be brave in everyday life? These are the questions that we explored in the Dare to Dream, Dare to Act: What Girls Say About Bravery study, conducted on behalf of Girls Leadership in partnership with Keds®.

The study included over 1,500 teen girls and boys, and examined factors that motivate or prevent girls to act with courage in their everyday lives. The study examined gender differences in attitudes towards and experiences with bravery. We identified a set of demographic and psychographic factors that predict courageous behavior, and we have used the results of our predictive modeling to segment the population of girls into four distinct psychographic profiles or archetypes.

“The biggest learning is that we must change the conversation and redefine bravery for girls,” says GLI co-founder, Rachel Simmons. “We have to talk with girls about what being brave means in an everyday sense. Most girls know that they can learn to practice to be brave, but they don’t know where to go to learn how.” The study finds that teaching girls to ask for help, try new things, express disagreement, and stay open to new experiences will help them become braver. Programs that increase these skills in girls will also increase their bravery.

The best part of our research? There was no correlation between any demographic group and bravery. Girls’ bravery was linked to teachable mindsets such as determination, resilience, willingness to ask for help or openness to new experiences. Ninety four percent of girls believed that bravery can be learned and they are right! Every girl has the potential to be courageous.

The study determined that teaching girls to ask for help, try new things, express disagreement, and stay open to new experiences will help them become braver. Programs that increase these skills in girls will also increase their courage. The results of the study were widely publicized in national media and informed the development of programmatic initiatives.