I remember being in seventh grade and being stopped by a faculty member of my school. They asked me to take off my cardigan and when I did so, they informed me that my outfit was in violation of the school dress code due to the fact that my shirt had a spaghetti strap, regardless of the fact that I was still covering it up. They took me out of class to go to the office and still had the nerve to call my mother during her busy work hours to ask her if she could bring me a change of clothes. When my mom told them that she was not able to, they asked if anyone could pick me up, she said no again. They then decided to make me wear this huge, bright green shirt with ‘dress code violation’ written on it. I remember being so humiliated, in tears, …show more content…
It teaches young girls that they are responsible for keeping young boys’ minds at ease. That the way they dress is more important than their education. That what they are wearing, is a more important topic for the public to discuss than finding the predator of their assault. Not only is this highly sexists, but it promotes rape culture. As Luke Harms points out, “It’s the same culture in which college orientations teach freshmen women tips for not getting raped instead of teaching freshmen men not to rape. It’s the same culture that blames and shames victims and of sexual assault into silence, instead of bringing the perpetrators to justice. It’s the same culture that sees women’s bodies as objects to be controlled as means to men’s ends,” (Mutuality). School dress codes are where all of this ideology thrives. “Some of our most powerful and lasting ideas about the world around us are learned at school. Hard work pays off. Success comes from working together. Girls’ bodies are dangerous and harassment is inevitable. This might sound inflammatory, but it is not an exaggeration. It is the overriding message being sent to thousands of students around the world by sexist school dress codes and the way in which they are enforced,” (Bates, Laura. Time). Also noted by Laura Bates, “When a school takes the decision to police female students’ bodies while turning a blind eye to boy’s behavior, it sets up a lifelong assumption that sexual violence is inevitable and victims are partially responsible,” (Time). This is where it ends. No more silencing victims because their clothes are revealing. No more blaming women for being physically and emotionally assaulted. No more defending the monsters who
First off, they are unequipped to solve problems such as violence in schools. Enforcing a school dress code may slow the occurrence of certain difficulties, such as violence and distraction, and can be vital to the well-being of students for a short time, but it does not tackle the origins of the attitudes that cause these problems. The head of psychological services for the Detroit school system, Mary Louise Starks says, "A dress code is a temporary measure that is limited in scope. Students are committing these crimes because they don 't have a sense of power or self-esteem. They steal from their peers to gain control over another person."(qtd. In Miller 87). The impulse to commit violent crimes is an issue within a student that schools cannot diffuse with rules and regulations. This is also applicable to the pretext that regulations are needed because of distractions caused by a student 's choice in clothing. This reasoning falls most heavily upon female students. For instance, if a female student came to school in shorts that were deemed "too short", she would be sanctioned, because according to some school administrators rational, girl 's bodies are too much of distraction in the classroom. Again, this does not answer the question as to why girl 's bodies are so sexualized, or why the idea that boys cannot control themselves exists, it only provides a quick and
The belief that public schools should enforce strict dress codes has been the topic of many controversial and heated debates throughout history. Although it is uncommon for public schools to require uniforms, every school has some type of dress code. Elizabeth Forward High School in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, is no different than the rest of the nation. When caught violating the dress code, some teachers will choose to ignore it, whereas others will send the student to the high school office. If sent to the office, students are penalized with a day of in-school suspension instead of being allowed to call for a change of clothes. At first glance, the prohibition of tank tops, jeans with holes above the knee, and shorts and skirts shorter than fingertip length, among many other guidelines, seems reasonable, but after further reconsideration, it is clear that the dress code at Elizabeth Forward High School is ridiculous and hypocritical. I think that Elizabeth Forward High School should lift the harsh policies because of the temperature fluctuation in the building throughout the school year, recent trends among teens, and the hypocrisy associated with the dress code.
Bates, Laura. "How School Dress Codes Shame Girls and Perpetuate Rape Culture." Time. Time, 22 May 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. In this article, Bates argues that today’s school dress codes are sexist and leave a lasting impression on young girls. Bates explains that there are several cases where girls are being punished for their adolescent bodies being distractions to boys. Also, it can teach a young girl that her body is dangerous and that a young boy automatically has the right to sexually diminish and harass adolescent girls in schools. This thought process is what causes a stigma later in college, declaring that when someone is sexually assaulted on campus, the person was asking for it. This can be detrimental to a young girl, and can even
A school like Silliman University is an educational environment but still an adult sense of being. No one should be told what to wear once in an environment of adults or anywhere everyone has a stand out point in their style of clothing. College students are considered adults and should at least have the respect of coming as they are and not a made up robot that is controlled by a remote. Since college students are considered to be adults then they should have the privilege of dressing according to their desire. A dress code should not be enforced in the campus because the absence of a uniform does not inhibit the student from learning and understanding the subject at hand.
We’ve all seen it, do not lie. Boys and girls alike, making sexist jokes in the hallway and laughing like it’s funny. Seeing boys objectifying girls, and vice versa, as if it is not an action that is humiliating and ridiculous. Young and impressionable, we have been taught from a young age to fight each other and bully each other with a simple saying: “Girls rule, boys drool! Boys rule, girls drool!” Regrettably, the idea is displayed on T-shirts at Target and Justice, and it’s tearing schools apart. This mindset of the superior sex is a horrible misconception of the world, implanted by ignorant adults to make ignorant children. And the most prominent ignorant rule in schools yet: dress code and uniforms. Innocently, people believe it’s a
One school rule that I think should be changed is the dress code. Some things on our dress code should be changed. Such as fingertip length shorts, shoulders not being able to be shown (tank tops). Some schools are even beginning to banned leggings and yoga pants. Since I think these should be changed, I will be explaining all of my reasons for each dress code mistake.
Dress Codes are commonplace in today's society but in recent years, outrage at restrictive dress codes are increasing. A report by The Guardian illustrates an example of a restrictive dress code. Stephanie Hughes was called to the Principal’s office because the outfit she was wearing revealed her collar bones. Her outfit, comprising of a cardigan with a tank top underneath and jeans, was deemed as by her School Principal as inappropriate attire. The Principal explains that because her outfit revealed her collar bones, it would distract fellow male students and was hence not appropriate for school. Such dress codes only highlight the objectification of females, teaching males that while it is their responsibility to study, attaining poor scores can be explained as a result of distraction by the female students’ revealing clothes. Such dress codes teach males, in this case teenage boys, that they have the right to push the blame onto the females and shirk responsibility. While dress codes are tied to professionalism and etiquette, enforcing unreasonable dress codes that place emphasis on covering up the female body only ascertains the fact that Rape Culture is
Multiple reports are taken from females who experience the shorter end of the stick due to increased fashion interests and sexist mindsets of their school staff. An individual’s choice of dress is a reflection of themselves, a form of identity. Officials conclude that clothing choices increase the risk of bullying. Punishment for those who violate the strictly enforced rules consist of in-school suspension until someone from home can bring replacment clothes, humiliating “shame suits” , or any other creative punishment the school decides such as detention, etc. Shame suits are humiliating outfits that those who broke the rules must wear as a form of punishment, most of the time these consist of extremely unflattering clothes that have written phrases on them indicating that their appearance is due to their violation of the school rules. Punishments indicated place risk on the violators education caused by missed classes. Few in society do approve of the dress code as it controls female students’ modesty, banishes a distraction, and preserves the professional atmosphere inside a school. Issues involving the apparel enforcements include sexism, repressed self- identity, and punishment issues will be discussed within this
America’s school systems seem to have many issues concerning students receiving a quality education without distraction. A current debate argues weather a dress code policy is efficient or takes away from student’s expression. Administrators at schools should regulate a dress code policy because the system improves discipline and student’s attention, reduces social conflict and peer pressure related to appearance, and dress code provides a more serious learning environment.
Ensuing President Bill Clinton's State of the Union address in January of 1996, more and more public schools are implementing dress codes and uniform policies in their schools. As a result, there has been an increase in legal controversies dealing with the issue. The reason that dress codes are not conclusively enforced is due to the application of the First Amendment to juveniles in the public school setting. The First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Should children in public schools be able to wear whatever they want because of the freedoms classified in the First Amendment? I feel that the answer is no. Institutionalizing dress codes in public schools would do a great good for students and the entire academic community. I base my opinion on the fact that the pros of imposing dress codes outweigh the cons of the argument. By imposing dress codes or uniforms for students, it would eliminate opportunities for the ridicule of less popular or less fortunate students based on their attire, help prevent gang violence and gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia in schools, and generate an overall better academic concentration and discipline in the educational community.
School dress code is controversial, sometimes being the cause of inner-school violence. The censorship of this raises issues when students complain that their personal rights to express themselves after schools limit what they can or cannot wear. School dress code are the guide lines that schools set that define what is acceptable to wear to school. An example of student dress code censorship was the case involving a thirteen year-old student in Williamstown displaying his political opinion about former President Bush (Nguyen). Because the shirt contained drug references and words calling the president a "crook", an "AWOL, draft dodger" and a "lying drunk driver," he was told to go home after refusing to take it off (Nguyen). This case went to two different courts, a US District Court, and the Second Circuit Court. The US District Court agreed with the school's opinion because they believed the images on Guille's shirt were not appropriate for a school atmosphere (Nguyen). Meanwhile, the Second Circuit Court ruled that the school should not have censored the shirt because even thou...
These people against dress code believe dress code promotes sexualizing women. The hashtag “I am not a distraction” has powered the movement against sexist dress code. According to Huffpost, “It’s the statement that’s become a rallying cry across the burgeoning movement against inequitable school dress codes, a movement propelled largely by the young girls who are so often targeted by policies that label the parts of their bodies ― whether covered by yoga pants, spaghetti straps, gym shorts, leggings or tank tops ― as “distractions” (McCombs.) Many women and girls have been told that what they are wearing can be distraction to men which makes it feel that the dress code targets them. In the article “Sexist School Dress Codes Are A Problem, and Oregon May Have The Answer”, talk about many indents that women have encountered with dress code and explains the sexist side of school dress codes. These people think that all students should be able to engage in the education environments without fear of being body shamed. This is also an issue because in many cases when dress code is broken by a female, she is asked to leave class, change or go home. This is hindering their education. These women also feel that dress code teaches young girls that it is acceptable for boys to misbehave and sexualize girls. Sophia Carlson, a middle-school student who believes that dress code is sexist and has experienced it, is featured in this
Dress codes in high schools have been up for debate between students and administration for decades. They have long been a staple in schools, aiming to try and maintain a sense of “modesty.” However, some argue that these policies can be overly restrictive. Yet, it's important to find a balance between style and modesty. Many of the school’s administration offices have worked to try and minimize “classroom distractions” caused by clothing garments.
I believe all people have the right to express themselves. However, with rights come responsibility, a concept most people ignore. Having a "right" is to be free to express one's self. Consequentially, having a "responsibility" is doing it constructively, in such a way as to not violate policies, laws, and others' rights. There is a definite difference between a dress code and a school uniform. I support enforcing a school dress code, but is implementing a school uniform necessary? No matter how students dress, they will still pass judgments on their peers, uniforms do not necessarily save money, and children are forced to conform to the same standards. While in school, teachers have a responsibility to teach and students have the responsibility to learn. Both have the right to exist in their environment without harassment and the right to express their individuality. Some people have found some expressions crude, obnoxious, and distracting. To combat the problem, the idea of mandating school uniforms was introduced. This notion of making everyone appear "uniformed" in order to cut down on violence and negativity in school, is absolutely mislaid.
To place the blame on young women for how they are treated by men due to their dress is completely unfair. A girl could wear an oversized t-shirt and baggy sweatpants and a boy will still be curious about her. The same is true for girls. The idea that it is a girl’s fault if she is commented about or raped for how she is dressed is sickening and completely sexist. Reilly Card and Neil Haran, authors of an article titled “High School Dress Codes: Sexist or Appropriate?”