Sexualization and Identity Removal Through Dress Codes Essay Example

Across the United States, seventy percent of middle schools and fifty-five percent of high schools follow overly strict dress codes, with even more following simple dress codes (Barbella). Schools nationwide have integrated these policies in the past 50 years, with very few adaptations as fashion trends and times change. Stand-still dress codes fail to reflect rapidly changing definitions of acceptable outfits and ideas. Female students often feel sexualized and objectified by regulations that heavily discriminate against feminine attire. Dress codes aim to create a better learning environment for students and remove distractions. Instead, they fall short and attain the opposite effect by removing students from class. Teachers frequently pull students from class, therefore limiting education and increasing distractions. Dress codes require heavy revision to fit contemporary life since they impact student self-image by sexualizing girls and stifling individuality.

A common argument favoring dress codes states that they protect students and, more specifically, girls by eliminating the incentive for other students to notice their bodies and bully them for their clothing choices. This argument binds the importance of school dress codes to the future success of strict followers. In one article the author begins with reasons why school staff often enforce outdated dress codes by stating that “students who comply with school rules are able to transfer compliance and become successful in other areas of life” (Brooks and Martin 1). Complying with authority leads students to success due to a critical understanding of rules and how to function under authority. Schools exist to educate students and, more importantly, prepare students for their role in the workforce. By following stringent rules similar to businesses, students slowly become comfortable with future career aspects. Dress code supporters believe that since companies standardize specific uniforms and accepted outfits, students must learn to follow them. Supporters also admire dress codes under the belief that they remove unnecessary distractions in classrooms. By removing the incentive of “inappropriate” outfits, dress codes “are necessary to promote academic success” (Brooks and Martin 1). Classroom distractions frequently prevent students from performing correctly and, therefore, reduce grades and academic inquisitiveness. Removing these distractions such as low-cut tops, crop tops, and absurdly short shorts allows schools to raise students’ grades and, accordingly, the school’s overall image. Unchanging dress codes in schools lead students to success and ease in the workforce. 

The schools’ trust in dress code success has led to many parents and students challenging dress code rulings. Opposers often argue that dress codes attain the opposite effect as intended. In the wake of rapidly developing fashion trends, shorter shorts, and tighter outfits, many cases of student punishment for mild offenses have arisen. In 2019 a South Carolina mother fought against the dress code, stating that it “unfairly targeted her daughter for wearing yoga pants to school without a long t-shirt covering her bottom” (Whitman 2). Dress codes unfairly target girls for overwhelmingly feminine clothing, leading to the sexualization of clothes as simple as yoga pants. Parents understandably express frustration with this, as very few wish to see their young children sexualized based on comfort. Rather than focusing on genuine school risks, these dress codes concentrate on clothing that few would notice. The punishments for these infractions often outweigh the consequences of wearing prohibited clothing. In 2002 another case against a school occurred where a “girl’s yearbook photo was deleted because she chose to dress in clothing considered more appropriate for a male” (Whitman 7). This ruling inflicted a punishment that went beyond her offense of expressing individuality. Teenagers often use clothing as a form of expression. Since authority limits their freedoms, teenagers find other outlets to express themselves at a critical age. Forcing children to wear clothing that they feel uncomfortable or misgendered in lowers self-esteem and mood. Another issue of self-expression and comfort occurred in North Carolina. Parents sued a school for refusing to allow their daughters to wear pants, claiming that “the skirt requirement was, among other things, distracting girls from learning since they had to ‘pay constant attention to the positioning of their legs during class’” (Barbella). The school ignored the discomfort of these female students so that they would appear more feminine and ladylike in line with the dress code. The school failed to back down and revise the dress code to accommodate more pupils despite the backlash. This decision led to parental outrage in the name of protecting their daughters. These parents set a precedent that students should fight to wear what they prefer. The students in these cases received punishment for outfits that otherwise would fail to garner even a second glance from other students. 

Focusing on the effects of dress codes and specific cases shows the growing adverse effects of dress code inequalities and injustices. By centering dress codes around male attention and the female body, schools create an unequal environment that “affects their [female students] self-esteem and makes them feel judged and shamed” (Barbella). Self-esteem in female students-- an already precarious balance-- relies upon the ability of these students to feel assured in their outfits and sense of self. Many young girls struggle with this, and their outfits help improve their struggle. Dress codes convey that students should feel ashamed of their bodies and cover themselves to their school’s satisfaction. The idea that people should see young female bodies as scandalous mirrors archaic, outdated beliefs and sexualizes children by holding them accountable for what happens when they wear outfits against the dress code. According to the parent of one child, “the idea that a child can be dressed too provocatively places the responsibility of not being a ‘temptress,’ in the old-school biblical sense, on girls at increasingly young ages” (Cunha). Dress codes fight to “protect” children yet achieve the opposite effect and sexualize innocent outfits. Condemning children for the wrongful gaze of others may lead to an increase in blaming them for sexual assault since the perpetrator can claim that the child’s outfit led them to behave wrongly. A sexual-violence prevention consultant agrees with the idea that dress codes blame children for the actions of others. She says that “the implication is that if they don’t follow the dress code then any subsequent harassment or assault was to be expected” (Cunha). This also allows assaulters to justify their actions, as long as their victim wears revealing or tight clothing, leading to a lack of punishment. If the blame falls on the victim, fewer people back them up when assaulted or harassed. Schools lack the power required to decide correctness in these cases, yet they still teach that sexual assault stems from clothing choices from a young age. 

Drawing attention to dress codes helps the long campaign to revise them to fit modern life. Adjusting dress codes will diminish negative impacts on student self-image and reduce the sexualization of children. With over half of schools establishing stringent dress codes, plenty of work remains for advocates of student self-expression. To make dress codes more acceptable, schools should eliminate requirements on shirt strap length, lessen the short length requirement, and allow students to wear tighter or looser clothes as they see fit. This modification would increase student morale and reduce victim-blaming for sexual assault based on clothing. As long as students maintain good grades and refrain from wearing overly extreme clothing, they should express themselves and feel confident in their bodies through their preferred style. 

Works Cited

Barbella, Michael. "School Dress Codes Present Double Standard." New Jersey State Bar Foundation, New Jersey Law Center, 20 Oct. 2020, njsbf.org/2020/10/20/school-dress-codes-present-double-standard/. Accessed 29 Sept. 2021.

Cunha, Darlena. "My tween can't wear a crop top to school, but our state won't mandate masks to protect her health." The Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/08/23/masks-schools-dress-code/. Accessed 30 Sept. 2021.

Martin, Jennifer L., and Jennifer N. Brooks. "Loc'd and Faded, Yoga Pants, and Spaghetti Straps: Discrimination in Dress Codes and School Pushout." International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, vol. 16, no. 19, 1 Jan. 2020. ERIC, ezproxy.uakron.edu:2048/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1281939&site=ehost-live.

Whitman, Gretchen Marie. "A Curricular Critique of School Dress Codes." The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues, and Ideas, vol. 93, no. 2, 5 Feb. 2020, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2020.1721415. Accessed 29 Sept. 2021.