School Dress Codes Research Paper

School Dress Codes School dress codes can sometimes be viewed as sexist or unfair because some believe that they are “only applied to girls” and that the boys do not really have a dress code, and they can wear whatever they want. Also, sometimes really strict dress codes can take away a person’s freedom of speech or their rights. Some tend to believe that school dress codes need to change. School dress codes are to harsh today, and need to be equally enforced on both genders.

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

Is there anything more embarrassing than being dress coded at school? Enforcing a dress code among children is unfair because it not only discriminates against people but it destroys someone’s whole day. Dress codes and school uniforms are meant to increase student achievement and make everyone equal but instead it only hurts people. Most school dress codes are unnecessary and are sexist. Enforcing dress codes is suppose to boost student achievement but instead is racist, sexist and unnecessary. Schools should take into consideration their student 's feelings before they establish rules for dressing.

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.

Have you ever been excluded from learning because of what you wore to school? In most schools, dress codes are set in place to provide a better learning space for all students. Having a dress code can oppress students because students are given the impression that they should not express themselves. Not all families can afford the clothes that abide by the rules. For example, some students don 't have the means to pay for new clothes, so they have to use hand-me-down clothing. Enforcing a dress code can lead to more problems in the long run because of the exceptions made for students who are athletes and cheerleaders. Many school faculty members including teachers and administrators think that keeping a dress code will keep students looking appropriate while learning, but this idea is wrong because it keeps students from expressing themselves and, the dress code singles out women.

In this article “ do school dress codes unfairly target girls” by Hardesty Greg. Hardesty, Greg. "Do School Dress Codes Unfairly Target Girls?" The Orange County Register. N.p., 01 Sept. 2015. Web. 14 Mar. 2017. He says that in schools girls get targeted way more then boys. Yes this is true, schools have more girls get in trouble, it’s hard for girls to find clothes. Boys have long shorts and t-shirts with longer sleeves. Why don’t we have a class to teach boys to not see girls as a sexual object and to only see them for their bodies. Therefore, schools are sexist against girls clothes and the way they dress.

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.

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

Schools dress codes are sexist because they promote body shaming, encourage victim blaming, and value male education over female.

Dress codes treat students unfairly, mainly targeting females. Many students across the nation-particularly girls- are agreeing with school dress codes being too strict and giving unfair treatment to females. A student from Kentucky was sent home for showing her collarbone, a student from Texas was sent home for wearing yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt that completely covered her backside. A teacher explained that when girls don’t meet the school dress code regulations, they are told they

Not only is dress code sexist, but it’s degrading. Dress code makes girls cover up and not wear what they feel confident in. It is restricting and is telling girls that they should be ashamed of their bodies because they cause a distraction and disrupt the class. Dress code teaches women that they cannot wear what they want because a man will sexualize them (Zhou). Once a person starts hearing how they can’t wear things because it is too suggestive, then that person starts losing confidence. If what a person wants to wear and feels confident in is too suggestive and inappropriate, then what can that person wear? “If schools want to teach respect, they need to give the message that it is unacceptable to blame a girl for being more developed and thus too distracting for her male classmates,” a grandmother, and retired preschool director, said after her elementary school granddaughter was sent to the principal’s

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.

At schools “dress code” is one of the main gender stereotypes, why? Because in private school’s girls have to wear shirts and boys have to wear jeans. In other schools’ girls have to make sure that their shoulders and stomach and legs aren’t showing because they feel that it causes distraction in a classroom. The only thing that boys have to worry about as to pose to dress code is to make sure that their shirts don’t have any drugs, or sexual things on them and that the colors they wear aren’t gang relate. Dress code in school was placed to make sure kids don’t feel left out and make school a lot safer, but is