A recent study by Lands’ End found that the number of schools with dress codes increased by twenty one percent from 2000 to 2013. School dress code is a very controversial topic in today’s America. Weather they are against or for it; everyone has their own two cents to put in. Some schools force their students to wear uniforms; while others just say do not wear shorts. I think dress code should be more lenient for three main reasons: there in an inconsistency in rules about dress code, it promotes rape culture, and it promotes sexism in our youth. When a sixteen year old girl found the dress of her dreams for the upcoming winter dance, she was elated. She could not wait to wear the beautiful dress, and even altered the dress to meet her …show more content…
Huffington Post reported a story about Lakeside High School in Lakeside, Florida about the school changing their dress code to follow two mottos: “modest is hottest”, and “boys will be boys”. Police do not tell rape victims “boys will be boys, sorry!”, so why should schools tell boys that they can do whatever they want because “boys will be boys.” School dress codes promote the idea that boys cannot help but to sexualize women that boys are just animals that cannot help themselves, that if they see bare shoulders it means she was asking to be raped. What kind of society are we that we let schools sexualize our daughters, our sisters, our friends? Dress codes are telling young impressionable girls that it is their fault that boys are allowed to sexualize everything about them. Dress codes are telling young girls that it is their responsibility to not “provoke” a rape, when schools should be teaching boys to not sexualize everything they see. Instead of teaching girls not to get raped, they should be teaching boys to not rape. 44% of rape victims are under the age of 18 according to rainn.org. This is an alarming number that we could help
The argument goes on to express that girls are being humiliated in front of not only teachers and administrators, but also in front of their class mates and peers. The teachers say, “We just want them to respect themselves” (Manicotti). The teachers are referring to the way that the girls are dressed in school. Also with humiliating the girls; schools are indoctrinating a mindset that is “Harmonious with rape culture” (Manicotti). The next argument to address is the unfair rules that are being set and enforced by teachers. For instance, if a boy is not dressed to code, the only punishment he will get is being “Respectfully asked to adhered to the dress code in the future” (Manicotti). If a female is wearing a skirt that is a few inches shorter than the required length, females would be asked to go to the office, or be expelled for defying school rules. Not only are those some of the consequences a female might face when not following school dress code, they may also be singled out at a school assembly, asked to change clothes, or even sent home for the day for not being in proper dress code attire. Lastly, if boys have different rules from girls, they are being told they are not responsible for their actions, because girls are provoking them. “Second, ripping dress-code-violating girls out of class and sending them home prioritizes the rights of the boys (to learn without
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
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
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.
For teens, Spring equates to: the rush of liberty in the warm wind breezing through arms and legs, skin illuminated in the sun, and stepping home after a bright school day; ice cream cone in hand. Spring equals paradise...though, in 2017, this image is torn to shreds, by the hand of an important issue: school dress codes. Despite its origin to ensure the physical comfort of all members within the school community; the current shape that the administration of school dress codes has taken is biased and bares menacing messages of inequality, especially to female students across Canada and the United States. Enforcement of dress codes has become subjective to uncontrollables such as geographical location, the beliefs of admin at different schools; and the physical traits of different students. In spite of administrative refutes, that, girls’ attire can reveal a distraction to male students; the true disturbance is the way schools are making assumptions on behalf of the boys on whether or not what they see is distracting them. In the end, it is evident that the real victims of interrupted educations are the girls themselves. Unlike the warming of temperature, the attitudes of schools only grows frostier towards the issue of “dress codes” as the days pass by.
Everyone knows what getting dress-coded is but why does it happen? Enforcing dress codes is a way to maintain a professional learning environment, however, dress codes desperately need to be updated constantly in order to work. Current dress codes are improperly enforced, as well as improperly targeted toward women. The issue should not be that a woman's shoulder is distracting, the issue is that a boy “cannot learn” because he cannot keep himself under control when presented with the sight of skin. In addition, dress codes teach women that it is their fault when men sexualize them, therefore increasing the idea in rape culture that it is the victim's fault and that "Boys will be boys." The way that dress codes are currently enforced is unfair, sexist, and unjust.
The school dress code is a very controversial topic for boys and girls but mostly girls. They treat girl from a young age that we should be ashamed of our bodies and cover up because we're too distracting to the boys. Yes there does have to be some restrictions to the dress code but others that say our sholder is to distracting is taking it to far. Girls should be proud of themselves and really the dress code is tearing down their confidence. If were to distracting to the boys for even just showing a little bit of shoulder that boy should be talked to that girls shouldn't just be seen as an object of pleasure and that there human to. Instead of doing something like that we are told to cover up and should be ashamed for even showing even a little bit of our shoulders or stomach. We do however do need a dress code so people don’t just
Gendered dress codes also lead to the tough subject of ‘rape culture’ and how dress codes are heavily influencing this. Rape culture is the idea of blaming the victim of sexual assault and saying it is their fault because of their actions. In an article the author makes a statement about gendered dress codes, she says, “dress codes deny boys personal responsibility and teach them that their classmates are objects that they are entitled to instead of people they are equal to” (Meehan 1). This quote from the article, “I Can See Your Body”, is explaining how gendered dress codes are teaching males that women are just property and if they do not follow the rules males can do as they please. This also goes with the idea of rape culture in today’s society and treating women as property. In many countries women are considered less equal than men, they are considered as property, but in the US that is not practiced. In the article, “I Can See Your Body”, the author explains how gendered dress codes enforce rape culture by stating, “gendered dress codes and the values they reinforce don’t only hurt girls, but also have a negative impact on boys. By teaching boys that women are distracting sexual objects, that they are not responsible for their reactions around women, we create men who think they are entitled to women’s bodies” (Meehan 1). In this quote she
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,
Have you ever been wearing your favorite outfit feeling like a million bucks when all of a sudden you get dress coded? Many people have this issue not knowing whether or not something will get dress coded. This is a common issue for this generation and it makes life harder. Which is why they shouldn't have dress codes in school.If you do have dress codes then it could prevent creative expression in school, takes away the diversity, and make people uncomfortable.
Disagree- School dress codes protect people from revealing too much skin in a professional area. Without dress code, students would be rebellious and take advantage of what is appropriate to wear. Given the sexual assaults due to revealing too much skin, gives the school the security to prevent this from happening.
In dress code rules, it seems most of the rules target females. Boys are hardly ever disciplined for wearing “inappropriate” clothing. “I’ve never seen a boy called out for his attire even though they do also break the rules” (Zhou 1).When schools target girls on what they wear, it makes them not only upset, but sometimes embarrassed. “Conflict over these policies has also spawned hundreds of change.org petitions and numerous school walkouts” (Zhou 1). Instead of being a facility for education, dress code turns too much attention towards clothing “distractions”. Therefore, the blame should be placed on the school administration, because the dress code they put together results in students not attending classes. Not only does the dress code distract students from their school work, it makes female students feel insecure about they way they look. “Many of these protests have criticized the dress code as sexist in that they unfairly target girls by body-shaming and blaming them for promoting sexual harassment” (Zhou 1). Most of the time when girls are called out for what they wear, it is said they are distracting boys, or putting themselves out there. Boys themselves even go far enough to say the girls are “asking for it”. The dress code falsely blames girls for being promiscuous, when most of the time they are just wearing clothes that are in style. Situations like this have happened so many times, and are still occurring
After moving from California to Texas, I was fortunate enough to still be in a great public school system, but I was not lucky enough to escape an excessively strict dress code. While many people in private schools have complete uniforms to implement equality, being confined through a severe dress code not only impaired my freedom of expression, but also the ability to grow into myself. As an adult, I am expected to make choices for myself, present myself in a certain way, and often times how important I am depends on how unique I am. Spending some of the most impressionable years of my life in a high school priding itself in a firm dress code, I feel as though it held me back from the experience I needed to be a confident adult. Now that I’m in college, arguably one of the most important time periods in someone’s life, I still don’t know how I want others to see me, which is a very important skill. Through expression, people can decide if they feel most confident when they appear professional, artsy, trendy, or simply casual, and oftentimes how you appear on the outside reflects who you are as a person because dress style is a way of self discovery and communication.
If my school was considering making a change to the dress code, I would want flip-flops to be acceptable to wear. If my idea had thoroughly been taken out, it would be because they can complete the outfit, Spring days can be very warm, and they’re easy and fast to put on when getting ready for school. Many of my schoolmates would agree with me, because of all of the commotion they go through when getting dressed in the morning for school and going through their day. Not only girls, but also the male gender wear flip-flops. Therefore, this change to the dress code would affect many people.
Everyday throughout the halls of Mckinney Boyd High School, females walk nervously and briskly out of fear of being dress coded. Comparatively males walk comfortably and confident while wearing the clothes that please them. Not only Mckinney Isd but schools and districts across the nation view girls as objects and puts blame on their own god given body parts and identify them as a “distraction, Mckinney Isd dress code is very harsh and undermines young women's confidence and needs to be revised tremendously.