Are school dress codes a tool for student safety or a restriction on their self-identity?
The question has been debated for years.
Recently, dress codes have come up as an equity issue after reports that Black students, girls, and LGBTQ students across the country are unequally affected by school dress codes.
Many schools in America and around the world enforce dress codes. Dress codes have been around for decades and were first introduced to prevent students from wearing inappropriate clothing.
However, people might say that the dress code is biased against females. The majority of rules that are seen in dress codes only apply to girls, and there seems to be more rules that girls have to follow when it comes to how they dress.
As a girl sometimes I feel that the dress code is sexist because there's not very many rules about how men need to dress where there's a list of what girls can wear and not wear so looking at the rule book it kind of seems sexist.
This is harlans dress code:
● clothing which permits inappropriate exposure of the body, bare backs or sides, and midriff exposure.
● clothing advertising or promoting items illegal for use by minors including, but not limited to, alcohol or tobacco.
● clothing and accessories displaying obscenity, profanity, vulgarity, double meaning slogans, racial or sexual remarks,
making reference to prohibited conduct or similar displays.
● hats, hoods, sweat bands, kerchiefs, or head coverings of any kind inside the school building between the starting and ending
times of regular school days. (In medical or other unusual situations, principal permission must be secured.)
● Tank tops are permitted if there is a 2-inch minimum strap AND it is fitted to or directly under the armpits.
- Do you think that Harlan's dress code is sexist?
- Are dress codes sexist?
- Do you think schools could improve their dress codes?
https://peppermintfrostblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/school-dress-codes-are-not-sexist/
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105348
https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/dress-codes/#:~:text=the%20Associated%20Press)-,Dress%20codes%20are%20typically%20implemented%20by%20school%20districts%20and%20employers,support%20the%20schools%20and%20employe
Replies
I don't think our dress code is sexist however I don't think shoulders and stomach showing should be a problem. Some dress codes can be sexist because they let the guys wear what they want but girls have rules to go by. I think they could improve a dress code by making it to what the students are comfortable with wearing.
Some rules may be sexist but they don't do this on purpose they do this to everyone including the guys. No the dress codes aren't sexist. I think that our school could improve the dress codes because our codes people still break.
I think that some rules could be sexist, but not on purpose. Men and women obviously wear different kinds of clothes with different styles, so the rules will be different for each. Schools could definetely improve their dress code rules, but I think our school is pretty fair.
I think that people should be able to wear what ever they want. I think that people should be able to wear what ever they want as long as it is not to reviling, have any cuss words, to long, to short, and is school apropeat.
I think school dress codes can sometimes be sexist. I dont think our school's is very sexist. For our schools dress code it mainly targets both men women. I think in middle school the dress code was more sexist than it is now in highschool.
I think that school dress codes can somewhat be sexist towards girls and boys. I think that we should be able to wear what we are comfortable in but to an extent. It does seem like girls can get dress-coded more than boys.
I woudnlt say the rules are sexist, just if you look at hte cloths for girls and guys, girls cloths will have less material to make girls look hotter or more attractive. Guys cloths are basic, they cover most of the body. Dress codes aernt sexist just restricting the vast majority of what girls can wear casue alot of girls cloths show alot. I dont think the dress code could improve, girls just need to know the diference from looking good and being slutty.
I think dress code and sexist is not that big of a deal. IOf men or women wanna know something they should be able. Yes there should ber a limted on how far ypu can go with it but I think there shouldn't be mine rules.
I'm sorry. I don't understand what you are trying to say.
It used to be, just because of how middle school was, I feel like it is more calm in the high school, because in middle school we would get dress coded for about anything because the teachers would make assumptions or say that is too much. I think some of it is, just because girls only have so many options until they get dress coded like how they take shorts for being too short when we only have one style. Schools could improve it by having a dress code for boys because some of them wear tank tops that girls would dress coded for, and with the hats and shirts.