School Dress Code Bias

The dress code specifically bans tank tops with straps less than one inch thick, anything with visible cleavage or exposing the mid drift, cut-off shorts or shorts and pants with holes, and shorts and skirts shorter than fingertip length. The only rule applying directly to boys is prohibiting the “sagging of shorts or pants.” Not only do these rules single out girls, but “[a]t any time, a staff member or administrator may prohibit a student from wearing certain apparel to school.” Because of this addendum, I have seen girls singled out specifically for their clothing. More than once, I have witnessed administration follow a student through the halls, then wait until class starts

First of all, the thought that dress codes are supposed to be created equally and fairly is absolutely mind blowing. Author, Ellen Friedrichs, provides many facts and myths about dress code that makes you think differently about the whole situation. Friedrichs points out, "So, far from putting all students on equal footing, dress codes disproportionately affect certain students more than others and the idea that a dress code will prevent students from noticing difference is laughable"(Friedrichs). Going along with her statement, instead of boys feeling attacked; it is more girls that feel that way. The dress code policy is more directed towards girls and how they dress rather than the boys. If anything, the administration should feel guilty for body shaming girls and making them feel insecure and ashamed of their bodies. All girls come in all different shapes and sizes. A shirt that looks modest on one girl may look completely different on another due to her body shape. Boys and girls should be free to dress however they want and what makes them feel confident. Dress code destroys all individuality and creativity. The claim the administration made about dress code towards girls is that, some clothes that girls wear distract boys from their work. Girls should not be blamed for the immaturity of boys.

Is it really a female student’s fault that a male peer failed a test because her collar bone was distracting him? The school boards across the United States have girls feeling like it is. Dress codes have become an excuse for male students and a way to devalue female morals and education. Removing students from class time and verbally harassing them for their choice of dress has become a common practice within too many schools across the country. School systems use dress codes for various reasons upon campus.

School dress codes send a loud and clear message, “Your individuality is inconvenient.” (Rowland 22). The constitution guarantees the right to free speech,which can be interpreted as the right to freedom of self expression, and students use clothing to express themselves. Another message that dress codes send is that “the self identity that you want to express does not belong here.” Self expression is not an inconvenience or a distraction, it is the lifeblood of our nation. (Rowland 22). Schools tell students that they should be confident in themselves, but how can they if they cannot express themselves? School dress codes now are more about shielding the boys then protecting the girls which implies that boys are immature. Calling a girl’s clothes distracting is implying that she is at fault for any disruptions. “That 's like saying that because a store has a cash register, it 's the store 's fault if it gets robbed!” (Menza 1). Students are going to be distracted anyways. Sexist dress codes are like saying that an article of clothing, or a body part showing on a female will distract male students from learning. Dress codes should be simple for both genders, everyone should wear clothing that covers up the same area. With dress codes, students are forced to dress the same as other students, taking the individuality out of school, but schools try to send the message, you are individual. Figure 1 shows a strict dress codes for both students and

If one young lady can wear shorts with a “four inch inseam” or a skirt “no more than three inches from the center of the kneecap” (Carroll High School Student Handbook 2010-2011 17) then why can’t the same girl wear a pair of jeans with a small hole in them below the kneecap? All eyes are turned towards the girl sporting the classy dress and no one even notices the small hole located in the shinbone area. The strict dress codes do teach the students to dress in a respectable manner that will be necessary in future job efforts, however high school students are not at work. A majority of students have jobs and comply to the job related dress code because they are being paid to do so however, they are not being paid at school and simply want to be able to express themselves while in the public eyes of their peers. The administration is exercising all of their power to prevent the wearing of what they believe to be as inappropriate clothes, when in reality it is not.

America, the “land of the free, and home of the brave.” Unfortunately, this doesn 't mean “land of the free to wear whatever one desires.” In fact, school dress codes are taking away American students’ self expression, infringing on their freedom of speech, and enforcing sexist discrimination all over the country. A recent case, that occurred at Tottenville High School in Staten Island, New York, blatantly displays the negative effects dress codes are having on students, especially females. In the first couple of days of the semester, this high school managed to give 200 detentions to students for violating the dress code. Ironically enough, 90 percent of these students were girls (Swafford). The discouraging part is that schools are easily able to get away with this kind of discrimination. This is made possible by state laws that give school boards the power to enforce whatever dress codes they think are necessary to promote a distraction free learning environment, maintain discipline, and to push students to dress similarly in order to create a uniformity in the schools (“School Dress Codes”). The purpose of dress codes may be to create a distraction free learning environment; in reality, however, they produce an environment where students feel discriminated against and aren 't free to express themselves.

How do you feel when you get in trouble at school for trying to express who you really are with the clothes you just bought and you thought looked really cool in, but turned out it was breaking the dress code, you feel embarrassed right? Well, all schools have a dress code of some sort whether it's a uniform, or you can and can't wear certain clothes. Schools should not have dress codes because students can easily find a loophole in dress code rules, they don't let people express who they are, and uniforms are expensive. These dress codes schools use are to keep people from being bullied. The only problem is the girls are getting targeted more because they wear tank tops with spaghetti straps and leggings so the schools banned them. It's unfair

In April 2015, a Texas honors student was sent home for wearing yoga pants and an oversized shirt that covered her entire backside. In August, a Kentucky student was sent home for showing her collarbone. After her mother brought a scarf to cover her neck, the administration still deemed it “inappropriate.” In Indiana, a 12-year-old student was suspended and missed two days of class. The offense: tight pants. Other dress-code violations include baring shoulders, wearing a tank top, or exposing a bra strap. Should girls have to miss out on some of their education because of a collarbone or tight pants? These are parts of our bodies that are “distracting”. Should girls feel shamed about their bodies? However should school be an appropriate environment?

Girls shouldn't be punished just because a simple bra strap is showing or for wearing a pair of leggings to school. These sort of acts are deemed “distracting” to the boys in class just because a boy may so happen cast a glance in their direction. Now first and foremost, a boy is in class to learn and he should be worried about his education NOT what the girl beside him is wearing. Personally, leggings are comfortable and easy to just throw on when I’m running late or just want to be lazy for the day. In most schools, girls get in trouble for wearing leggings, even if her shirt covers her bottom. “I’ve never seen a boy called out for his attire, even though they also break the rules” (The Atlantic). If a school's dress code is going to be in effect, it needs to apply to ALL students, not just

As the temperature rises, so do hemlines and the suspension rate. Students get suspended for violating school dress codes by wearing outfits that ‘show too much skin.’ One can argue that revealing clothing is distracting, but some families and students agree that school dress code implementations end up just shaming girls. Dress codes, the epitome of high school, teach girls to act ashamed, not modest. According to most school boards that come up with the dress code, the outfits young women wear come across as too distracting for their peers, especially men, and make it unable for women to be viewed by the public with dignity and respect. Everyday, school dress codes target females—especially females that are more developed.

When it is 90 degrees outside a female student does not want to be in pants or a quarter length t-shirt, they want to be in shorts and tank top, just like boys, but this is a violation of dress code in many schools. Many schools have this as a rule because they do not want females provoking males to sexually harass them, but it is not the females fault. In an article about dress codes in public schools the author states, “proponents of these restrictions contend that such clothing leads to distractions in the classroom and encourages bullying, sexual harassment, and even sexual assault. Critics of these restrictions argue that they encourage the objectification of women and deny students the right to be comfortable” (Gale 2). A student should not feel uncomfortable or targeted in their learning environment. School is somewhere a student is supposed to feel safe and at home but this is not the case. Sexual harassment is also a concept that is mentioned when discussing school dress codes. Many people say that when breaking dress code females are provoking sexual harassment including this author who states in his article, “They contend that female students should not be held responsible for whether their classmates can pay attention, claiming that the uneven punishment perpetuates the idea that a woman harbors responsibility for any sexual harassment she experiences because of her fashion

There is proof of many instances where women are singled out based on sexuality. In schools all over America, dress codes are directed mainly at attire commonly worn by women. The Patrick Henry High School Handbook states that, “No halter, strapless, or tube tops [are to be worn] even if the top is covered with a jacket, sweater or shirt” (9). If a girl is covering her shoulders with a cardigan she has no intention of breaking the dress code. Why are boys allowed to wear tank tops and show their shoulders, but it is a violation if a girl attempts to cover hers up?

“In Florida, students were publicly shamed for violating dress code by being forced to wear ‘shame suits’” (Sorto, 2016). Creating a disruption in class to force a girl to change her clothes distracts her from her education, as well as humiliates and shames her. “Another girl, in Virginia, said it was sexist to label what she was wearing unprofessional and then force her to wear ‘dress code’ sweatshirt and pants” (Schrobsdorff, 2015). This is hypocrisy since not being “dress code” was unprofessional, but wearing sweats was not. Furthermore, it tells women that they should cover up their bodies completely to be deemed “professional,” illustrating the sexism ruling these dress codes. “While some administrators checked skirt lengths with the ‘thumb test’ by measuring hemlines against the tips of the fingers, many schools famously administered the ‘kneeling test’—requiring girls to submissively kneel down at the front of the class to make sure skirts touched the floor” (Lovell, 2016). Although this rule took place years ago, the fact that teachers made only girls do this is both extremely sexist and humiliating. Dress coding girls in front of the class teaches girls that they are lesser than men with submissive kneeling. Instead of politely pulling girls aside to inform them that they have broken the dress code, schools

In freshman year I remember walking down the hallway and seeing a girl wearing shorts and a t-shirt. The shorts were blue and adequately covered her body while the t-shirt was a white v-neck that exposed some of her chest. She was sent home because of how much of a “distraction” she would cause for the guys in her classes. I remember thinking that it was completely unfair: She was losing her opportunity to learn because her outfit was considered “distracting.” This type of situation happens a lot. Girls are denied access to education because their clothes don’t meet the dress code standards. Dress codes in the schools are sexist towards females and should be changed.

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.