Disguised as guidelines for the real world, dress codes hold a significant part in the role of rape culture. Students of the public-school system are told that dress codes are here to prepare students for outside job responsibilities and most notably, to promote self-respect. However, dress codes target young girls by telling them if they are wearing a certain top or type of pants, they are not respecting themselves. This is a PG way of saying that “boys will be boys”, so if they get distracted by your shoulders or legs, then it is the females fault because she should have known to not wear something so provocative. This lesson that has sent home hundreds of girls from school is dangerous. Every time a girl is sent home, a negative message is passed along that the female body is only a distraction and that a males’ education is more important than a females’. As a result of this, I have created WAC. Women Against Codes is an organization devoted to helping young girls and supporters speak their minds and ending dress codes. My organization is here to end the learning of the idea that women are not subject to respect based upon what they wear, female bodies are sexual no matter of the circumstance, and that women do not have a sexuality of their own and if they do, it is purely for a man’s own benefit. We are here to tell not only school administrators, but also society that we need to teach respect amongst all students instead of sending a girl home to create a safe,
In today’s society people think it is their place to tell others—especially girls—how to dress. When girls are raped at colleges, or just even in the
School dress codes shame students and teach other children that is okay to judge and harass young women
For years girls and women all around the world have been victims of rape culture and misogynistic views. Everywhere males are told that they are not in the wrong if a girl is dressed a certain way because she is “asking for it”. This is shown through public figures, social media and is even an issue in third world countries. Our society has deemed it socially acceptable to blame women for being rape victims if they aren’t dressed according to mankind’s standards.
At School Z, the principal, Mr. Anderson, chose to meet with me individually. I had offered for any and all administrators at the school to be interviewed, but he felt he dealt most specifically with the content of the interview. He greeted me at the front of the school and led me to his office, where we had a similar discussion to School A, followed by a viewing of students during passing period. Mr. Anderson was a tenured educator, having been in public schools for many decades, all of which were at locations with traditional dress codes. Initially, we discussed the numbers involved in dress codes: frequency of violations, how many, and what percentage were male and female. He said that throughout the year, only a handful were the average, but a majority of the violations took place within the first few months of the school term. It was during this time, he believed, that it was important to be strict with students to maintain order and compliance for the remainder of the school year. When I pushed for a number, even an estimate, of the number of referrals, he said he was unsure, but that over the course of the year, it would probably only amount to five percent of the overall totals. Of the referrals, he believed they were evenly split among male and female students, though he did believe that with boys, it was more difficult for them to violate because they did not attune themselves to fads the way female students did. “As Spring comes,
Dress codes in middle and high schools are a form of discrimination against teenage girls in today’s society. Parents and students all over the country argue that dress codes are directed mainly at girls and are a blatant example of gender inequality. The idea behind the strict enforcement of a dress code is that it will teach self-respect and raise moral standards for the students. However, when the reason for many dress code violations is questioned the rationale is often to prevent distracting the male students. Young women across the country are being shamed and punished for wearing what schools consider immodest and being a distraction to their male peers. This discrimination against female students results in their clothes being strictly regulated and dress coded more often than male students’ clothes are. The enforcement of these discriminatory dress codes has become a form of public humiliation for female students. Theoretically, a dress code makes sense and should be effective. In reality, it does not affect how students dress but causes a distraction and interruption of a girl’s education.
Any girl that has ever attended public school knows about the struggle of a dress code. On those hot days as the school year approaches, girls pour over their closets trying to find an outfit they won’t get called out for or sweat to death in. All their dresses are too revealing, their shorts too short, and their shirts reveal way too much shoulder—or so the schools say. Girls have been attacked time and time again with dress codes. Policies are almost always directed strictly towards girls; some even specify for girls only. These dress codes are not only sexist towards women, but they limit female’s freedom of expression and their choice to feel comfortable, and they do not teach female’s to have self confidence.
Schools are slowly taking away people 's individuality, but only seems like they are focusing on girls not boys. “ The way boys and girls get in trouble for violating dress codes is different and girls are disproportionately targeted for disobeying it” (“Rosalind Classroom Conversation”). Rosalind agrees that girls are targeted for dress codes more than boys are. In a girls point of view it seems unfair that boys can wear anything they would like, for example muscle shirts, shirts with alcohol, shirts with naked women on them, but not even get dress coded or a warning (Bassett). Meanwhile, a student that was a girl gotten dress coded because her collarbone was showing and it was deemed that it was inappropriate, even after her mother brought her a scarf in that covered her collarbone (Alvarez). Another student which was also a girl got dress coded because her skirt was a few centimeters under her finger tip. They had to send her home, she had missed all her classes and what they were teaching that day because of what they thought it was inappropriate (Bassett). Analuiza states that “ The only reason I go to school is to get my education. When I get dressed in the morning, my intention is not to provoke or be sexualized. My intention is to feel comfortable in my own skin” (Bassett). As a girl I believe that Analuiza is correct with what she had stated, that girls should be able to feel comfortable, and not be sexualized or feel like they are
Young girls across the world are constantly being sexualized and told to cover up their bodies. Girls starting from middle school through high school are told to meet ridiculous standards that are required to be appropriate to attend public school. Girls who are forced to change or go home based on these absurd demands are being told that putting their education on pause, is more important that being comfortable in their clothes they are wearing. A boys wears a shirt to school with a bikini model on it, and nothing is said. A girl wears a tanktop on a 90 degree day, and she is pulled out of class. Standards like this are interrupting the education of many young women across the world, and they need to be stopped. Ruining self esteem for
It is of no possible argument that some of the most valuable and lasting ideas of life and the world around us are taught and learned at school. Hard work does you well. Cheaters never prosper. Education is the key to success. Girls bodies are a distraction and objects to be inevitably sexualized and harassed. This may sound over exaggerated, but this is the message beings sent to millions of students near and far by the sexist, self-esteem demolishing, unfocused dress codes in schools today. This said, dress codes in schools create a negative environment, putting the focus on the wrong things and ideas, both promoting rape culture and a strong sense of sexism.
It is the beginning of August, the dreadful days in school have finally arrived. Since it is still ninety degrees outside and the AC can not keep up, most boys walk through the halls with shorts and cut-off tank tops. Girls, we wear long pants such as, jeans or leggings, “Why?”, you ask, Why would one ever want to wear that? Unfortunately, It is not a choice for us. Girls face the question when deciding to wear shorts, “Are these long enough, am I going to get in trouble?” Despite the warm temperatures outside and inside girls can not wear what they want, because it shows too much of their bodies. Boys? Can wear their cut-offs showing more than girls. Do they get in trouble for showing too much? The answer, usually is no. .To this day women are not equal to men in, school, the workplace, or at home. In this article, Rowena uses ethos, a very limited amount of logos, and no pathos to make an argument about the sexism towards school dress codes and how it promotes rape culture.
A common theme in the discussion is that dress coding promotes victim shaming amongst girls. Students in question are made to feel ashamed for questioning the decisions of their teachers. Tallie Doyle, a fourteen year old dress coded for wearing a tank top that showed her bra straps, is a notable example in this regard. After being taken to the principal’s office, Tallie
People in America nust relize that the this country is filled with people of different cultural backgrounds. Along with the different clturals comes the fashion. Many Muslim women wear hijab and burkas from the age of puberty. The Tznuit laws of Orthodox Jews present modesty laws prohibiting the baring of elbows, knees and even the wearing of open-toed shoes. Both men and women are supposed to stick with “demure colors” and married women cover their hair with a wig or head covering. Pentacostal and Evangelical Christians, as well as Mormons, Quakers and Amish, all have dress codes. Biblical verse admonishes women for wearing “pearls or gold, adorning their hair, or wearing expensive clothing.” ( Cone, 2015). Unfortunately, women are taught shame from a young age. For example, in middle school and so forth, within schools, girls are constantly told to "cover up." Dress code policies are forced down girls' throats. Despite whether certain dress codes should be in effect or not, when it comes to girls being punished and sent home from school for wearing shorts on a hot day because their clothing is deemed "distracting," says a great deal about the mindset in our society. Instead of policing girls and scorning them for wanting to be comfortable, why are we not questioning and putting the spotlight on certain boys who lack self-control when they see a spaghetti strap? Issues such as body image and sexuality also provoke intense discussions about policing women's bodies. In terms
Laura Bates wrote a very controversial article on May 22, 2015. Her two page article, “How Dress Codes Shames Girls and Perpetuates Rape Culture,” set a tone that is hard to forget. Laura includes detailed examples that capture her readers attention and open one’s eyes to the harm that public school dress codes are doing, not only to the physical image of a girl, but to the self-esteem of many girls as well. There are many thoughts and emotions that follow this topic, because of the many girls that have been affected personally by dress codes, or rather, dress code violations. In this groundbreaking article, the question of whether or not a school dress code shames girls and perpetuates rape culture is answered.
In high schools all over America, young girls are being sent home for wearing “provocative” outfits and are being asked to change as it would be wrong for these girls to be a distraction to the boys in their class. This attitude puts in the minds of adolescent girls the feeling that boys will inevitably be boys and, as women, they are the ones who should change their outfit to better accommodate the male students. Laura Bates addresses this issue in “How School Dress Codes Shame Girls and Perpetuate Rape Culture”. Bates’ purpose is to raise awareness on the subject matter, as well as give her opinion on it. Through her use of ethos, pathos, and logos, Laura Bates presents a very strong argument.
The ringing of the alarm clock that is placed conveniently beside your bed wakes you. The sound startles your brain into getting out of your warm, cozy bed. It is time to go to school. You must wake up now in order to make it on time. If you are late again, your teacher will probably give you that nasty look of dismissal. What are you going to wear?