The Dress Code Should Be Enforced Upon Everyone Argumentative Essay

Is it sexist that dress codes target female students more than males? This question is considered very controversial in today’s society but the answer is yes. The enforced dress code is a double standard. Most girls are often punished for being a “distraction” to boys and often the reason they are dress coded is because boys are, quote, “unable to control their hormones”. The idea that a noticeable bra strap, tight fitted jeans, or a crop top will keep boys from being able to learn is just ridiculous. A school’s priority should be establishing a safe learning environment for everyone. It should not be an environment where a girl can be shamed for her choice of clothing. The dress code sends the message to young and impressionable teenage girls that their bodies are the problem and, therefore, need to be hidden, or covered. The dress code should be enforced upon everyone, rather than targeting a specific gender.

As stated by an article from MTV, “It tells her she’s not entitled to human decency and respect if her skin is showing, which is slut shaming, but also objectifying. It tells girls their bodies are more sexual than boys. She is the object, and he is the subject.” Since they imply that men have more control over a woman’s body more than she herself, dress codes are sexist. Girl’s should not be responsible for a boy’s actions because of what she wears. Enforcing the unreasonable standards of the dress code keeps girls from expressing themselves. Something that we should all ask ourselves is, “Where is the boys dress code?” In the past when I saw teachers follow protocol for penalizing students who violate the dress code, I noticed that boys were told to pull their pants up and then sent back to class. If a girl had broken the dress code, she would have been sent to the office and told to call her parents so she could be disciplined.

Girls cannot control the actions of boys and should not have to feel responsible for being a “distraction”. The dress code entails so much more than what’s considered appropriate and what is not. The dress code plays a major role in the fact that most men refuse to take responsibility for their actions because they were never disciplined when they were in school. Something that I have witnessed myself is that some boys are not keeping their hands to themselves. Some even use the reason “Look at her! She was asking for it!” Women are so much more than sexual objects and shouldn’t be seen as such. We should be treated with respect and above all shouldn’t be deemed as the source of boys' distraction in class. 

Today’s dress codes are, on average, targeting female students more than male and even worse shaming them. Schools make it seem as though female students' clothing choices are to blame for distracting male students from their education.  Although school’s dress codes are sexist, I believe that something should be something that doesn’t allow certain clothing items but it should pertain to everyone. Instead of  targeting one gender, the dress code should be applied to and enforced on everyone. Rather than constantly punishing and penalizing females for what they wear, schools should strive to create a learning environment where everyone is treated equally and feels secure in their clothing.