Unfair Dress Codes

The prominent reason behind the various overdone school rules regarding dress is the loose power that administrators have been given. They have been “reserve[d] the right to determine if a clothing item or accessory is appropriate for school” (Carroll High School Student Handbook 2010-2011 18). The officials at school are using their own personal opinions to judge the students’ dress. Since styles change as time goes on, the generation in control and the

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.

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.

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

In the article, “The Battle Over Dress Codes” written by Peggy Orenstein, explains the dress code of Berkley Middle School from a mother’s point of view. This mother of argues that young girls who are reaching puberty and whose bodies are growing, are being told to cover up once they start to develope. She says, “In May, students in Utah high school opened their yearbooks to discover digitally raised necklines and sleeve added to female classmates’ shirts.” I find this act highly deceitful and unnecessary. If i was that student or that student’s parent, I’d be very upset. Orenstein also states that “seductiveness” has been an issue for girls, which has become politicized. Although, no matter how we’re dressed, there is no excuse for catcalls from older men. Orenstein says, “I don’t want her to feel shame in her soon-to-be-emerging

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.

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.

Maybe if she was a little bit higher in class, maybe she would not have been abused, and possibly sexually abused by her father, but we do not know if he did that because she was the lowest of the low. Class is something she cannot change. She is stuck with that

Her teachers decided that her shirt wasn’t dark enough, so this tiny little girl was suspended. If you haven’t heard of this little girl’s story, that's not very surprising, considering stories like this come out all the time. Stories about little girls who are stripped of their national honors society titles because of spaghetti straps, or large groups of girls being herded out of class like cattle. If dress codes are supposed to be there to help students learn, the why are so many girls taken from their classes, and missing important class time?

One of the challenges I face in this school is the dress code. I believe the dress code is ridiculous, unnecessary, and not fair. One of the ways the dress code is not fair is the only dress code girls that are mainly in the 7th grade, and the boys could come to school with tank tops and shorts, and no one would care. As soon as a girl wears a shirt that has a 2 inch wide strap, all of the principles overreact, because it is “distracting.” Instead of dress coding the girls, they should educate these young boys on how to behave, and how to properly treat girls.

In today's society students are continually bombarded with rules and regulations that they must follow, one of them is an ongoing controversy which is dress codes which schools enforce. Many ask themselves is school dress codes are a good idea, but this has become a complicated matter, especially for females since the rules apply more to them, many asserting it is sexist. Some people would claim that dress codes improve learning on school campuses and help promote a “distraction free” learning environment, but in reality dress codes are not only ineffective but hinders creative thought, demonstrates mistrust against students, and perpetrates sexism.

After the child snidely remarked about the role of women in society, He was brutally admonished by the fuming teacher.

In analyzing the situation, it is apparent the legging-perpetrators are primarily freshman girls with a high sense of self-entitlement. The underclassmen believe they have the right to undermine the guidelines of the Peoria Notre Dame handbook. The prestigious establishment placed these regulations to ensure modesty amongst all pupils. The problem

“Lift up your arms!” My 6th grade teacher ordered. Unwillingly, I stood from my seat and raised my arms. Naturally, my shirt raised along with it, exposing my midriff. Dresscoded. I followed her to a drawer in the back of the classroom, the whole classroom staring, as she pulled out a long, oversized T-shirt with the school logo on it. It nearly swallowed me whole. The embarrassment of being in the limelight made my cheeks hot and flushed. When I asked her what I was dress-coded for, she said that my shirt wasn’t ‘work-appropriate’. Irritated, I walked back to my desk and rejoined my friends to continue our lunch. Suddenly, a boy in our class returned from a basketball game in the 90º weather and pulled up a chair to our table. My entire body was sweating, and the long pants and t-shirt I was being forced to wear didn’t help. He leaned back in his seat and stretched his arms behind his head. His T-shirt rose up and exposed his stomach, but my teacher said and did nothing. I envied how attention wasn’t being drawn to him because his stomach was exposed. I Instantly pointed out the double-standard. Why is my shirt considered provocative while his is considered work-appropriate if they both expose the same midriff?