Sexism In School Dress Codes

Our clothes is suppose to make us feel comfortable and define who we are instead of “purposely” getting attention from our peers. We never intended for the clothing we wear to school to distract students around school, we just wanted to be able to show off our diversity of clothing. The limitation of the dress code can help students not be able to express themselves fully. The dress code should be changed because of it’s major flaws.

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.

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.

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.

Dress code has been proven to be sexist. For example, the staff at schools make female students stand just to see if their shorts are long enough, if their shirts cover their shoulder, if their pants have holes above the knee, or if they are wearing any pants that are tight, which if they are a shirt must be covering their bum. Girls are targeted when it comes to dresscode. Why? All because of how society views their bodies. “It’s telling women and girls that it’s your responsibility to control boys and men and their presumed aggressiveness.”

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

(Elliot.2014) The school board stated to CTV NEWS that “we’re trying to teach them how to be ready for life when they graduate high school, be it university or perhaps a job.” I oppose this statement as a dress code now should not have anything to do with an individual’s future. Also, some people may argue that it puts others at stake unintentionally such as young males, and male teachers. It is said that provocative clothing attracts the opposite sex, but what we should be putting forward is the saying that humans should learn to control rather than restrict. There is a bias in schools and educational institutions due to the impression that without a dress code there will be breakdown of discipline, lack in academic success, and approach of sexuality. There is excess attention attracted towards the negativities of not having a dress code, but we do not see that dress codes restrict freedom of expression, or “form of art.” Being able to express your feelings and thoughts through appearance in your own way had the ability to boost self confidence, which is psychologically shown to improve and maintain good health, as well as promote any form of success especially at an age where individuals are yet to learn of themselves. A female could be bare appearance (naked) but have extensive amounts of knowledge and intelligence; therefore females should not be singled out over dress codes which should be banned as it does not define a

In my opinion, the school dress codes are in fact sexist. I, myself am a teenage girl who goes to high school. I’ve had to deal with school dress codes for about seven years now, and there have been times when I had to miss class for periods of time because of something I had on. In the end, I missed my class. I missed my assignments.

In the United States, almost every school has a dress code. That dress code should apply to both males and females, but that’s not always the case. Schools all over the map have been targeting women on the way they dress, and the usual accusation is that it’s “too distracting” for male classmates. Stephanie Dunn from Kentucky is a victim of this accusation. She wore a pair of jeans, a tank-top, and a white cardigan to her high school and got sent home for showing her collarbones. Her mother brought her a scarf to put over her outfit and the principal still deemed it as too inappropriate and too distracting for the male classmates in her classes.

“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

Currently, girls still face a strong discrimination on what they wear more than boys in school. Many of these stories are appearing in social media about how unfair it is for many of these young ladies to be sent to the office or suspended because of what they wear is considered inappropriate. According to Times article, “How School Dress Codes Shame Girls and Perpetuate Rape Culture,” Laura Bates quotes a student,

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.

Author Aliya Hoyt explains a statement from an interview saying, "This is all done under the guise of helping students create a safe space for learning where they can focus on education," Emily says, adding, "But the outcome is that women's bodies are policed in ways that men's bodies are not (Hoyt).¨ What the dress code does to those of the female gender is forces them to confide to a standard of what the schools believe that a woman should look like. The school system defines what they believe is appropriate for a young woman, and female students are unable to stretch out beyond this standard of confirmation. Girls are being punished for something they cannot control, suffering daily due to the system. Even in states where the temperatures are blazing hot in states like Arizona and California, girls must abide but rules concerning their shorts and sleeves. Article Girls Fight Back Against Gender Bias In School Dress Code states that “She shared the story of one of her schoolmates who was “dress coded” for wearing a skirt that fell a couple of centimeters above her fingertips when holding her arms by her sides. The student was sent to the office where repeated calls to her home went unanswered. After a two-hour wait, the student went home, too embarrassed to return to her last period class” (Today). Students are not only missing out on opportunities to learn, but are embarrassed of being dress coded. Girl should not have to face the obvious bias that comes with being a female and having to deal with there being a restricting dress

When thinking of a controversial issue to write about many ideas had come to mind like the question of whether or not abortion is right, however, a discussion in class that had to do with whether or not the school dress code discriminated against females sparked my constant interest in gender equality. I have thus decided to write about how our school’s dress code is a blatant form of discrimination against women.