For many girls from 1st to 12th grade, the outfit for the first day of school is just as important as the day itself. However, many of them are deprived of this privilege due to schools’ strict dress code policies. While having a set of rules to stop students from wearing clothing that can be offensive or inappropriate, many school officials are taking this too far and inherently doing more harm than good. Although they are thought to provide a distraction-free learning environment, female dress codes are often restricting and unrealistic, establishing an unfair bias against women that forces them to fit into a stereotype of how they should perceive their body.
Despite the fact that they are commonly found across the globe, these dress codes are rarely inclusive of both genders. The concept that girls need to cover up almost every inch of their body is extremely outdated, yet is often reflected in today’s school policies. Because boys do not have to follow the same guidelines, it is teaching children the bias against women and their bodies from a very young age. According to WGBH News, this also encourages a “blame-the-victim mentality”, in reference to how women are often faulted for their own rape, or in less extreme situations, for the distraction of other people (Scaramella). However, what school administrators do not realize is that it isn’t the girls that need to change, it’s the rules. Boys’ dress codes are not nearly as strict or specific, and essentially the only requirement is that they need to be wearing clothes. It does not matter if their back or part of their stomach is showing, and it never seems to be an issue for them to be wearing shorts that come above mid-thigh. Yet if a girl’s shirt barely reveals her shoulder, she could get detention or worse.
These rules are not only irrational, but the average student would not be able to get through a year without being “dress-coded”. Spaghetti straps, short-shorts, and sleeveless tops fill every typical clothing store, and children and teenagers are more than happy to buy them as they please. However, the restrictive rules put in place by schools require that skirts have to come down to where your fingertips reach, tank tops straps have to measure at least two fingertips in width, and absolutely no midriffs or backs are allowed to be seen. Not only do most students not enjoy adhering to these policies, but it is practically impossible for them to find clothes that would allow them to. As told in a CNN article, a mother whose daughter was dress-coded for wearing shorts that came up too high drafted a letter to the school in response. "To reward you for treating my daughter with such concern, I am cordially inviting you to take my daughter shopping. Now, don't forget that you will have to find something in the stores that also meets with your dress code requirements” (Wallace). This mother is not alone in her frustration, as more and more children and teenagers are needlessly disciplined for their clothing choices. Parents everywhere and their kids are feeling discontented with their schools’ approaches.
These dress codes are frequently so rigid that they restrict the students’ level of self-expression, and no student’s 1st amendment rights should be taken away because a teacher or a principal doesn’t like what they are wearing. As suggested by the National Youth Rights Association, “being able to wear what you want is part of a person’s right to freedom of speech”, and everyone should have access to this (Dress Codes and Uniforms). If a girl wishes to wear shorts that come above her knees, a tank top, or simply a pair of leggings she should be able to. The bottom line is that school officials should not have the final say in determining what goes on a student’s body. It is also a matter of allowing religious freedom as well. In several cases, Muslim girls have been suspended and even expelled for wearing a hijab. A principal in one of these situations claimed it was a fashion accessory and not a form of religious wear (Admins). Because this took place at a public school, by not allowing her to wear it he was violating the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which states that the “government shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion” (Admins). If schools were to change their rules to be more inclusive, it could prevent incidents such as this one in the future.
When kids and teenagers are told that they need to cover themselves up, it can have a drastic mental effect on the way they perceive themselves. Girls especially are already very self-conscious about the way they look, and dress codes telling them not to show certain parts of their body because it is “distracting” only worsens the situation. A New York Times article on the topic explains how “telling girls to “cover up” just as puberty hits teaches them that their bodies are inappropriate, dangerous, violable, subject to constant scrutiny and judgment, including by the adults they trust” (Orenstein). School administrators are even taking it into their own hands to decide what their students’ clothes look like. A high school in Utah digitally added sleeves and raised necklines to teenage girls’ shirts for their yearbook pictures and claimed (Altered Yearbook Photos). However, none of the young mens’ images were changed in any way. By editing these images, the school is indirectly criticizing the female students’ bodies for being inadequate. What message is this sending to them? It is telling these girls they need to be ashamed of how they look, that their bodies needed to be hidden. These teachings are bound to lead to low self-confidence and even depression or eating disorders in the long run. In this age of body positivity, we would hardly assume the schools that parents are sending their children to in order to obtain an education are the ones continuing to cultivate these negative ideas.
Some may say that without a dress code students can become distracted by others and not be able to accomplish anything, or that the rules are there for a reason and every child must follow them whether they like it or not. Others will even venture to say that boys will become embarrassed because they cannot control themselves in the presence of a bare shoulder. However, girls’ and young womens’ natural appearances should not be considered a distraction in any case. Instead of teaching girls they need to be ashamed of their bodies we should be teaching everyone not to sexualize them from the beginning. Both male and female students across the country have taken to the internet and started the #iamnotadistraction movement to protest the idea that without schools’ confining dress codes no work would ever get done (Sorto). Spreading this message online will help to generate the support they need to truly create a positive influence by allowing them to reach out to all parts of the community. This demonstrates how much they care about this issue and how hard they are going to fight until it is resolved.
All schools need to work together towards creating an inclusive dress code which balances clear guidelines that create a safe environment while letting the students keep their freedom to express themselves through how they dress. Schools in several cities across the country have already accomplished this, such as Portland Public School District, which has received praise from both parents and students alike. A comprehensible and uncomplicated set of rules including simple statements such as “students must wear clothing including both a shirt with pants or skirt, or the equivalent and shoes” and “shirts and dresses must have fabric in the front and on the sides” can make all the difference (School Dress Code). Citizens need to unite to ensure that girls can receive the rights they deserve and abolish all discriminatory, restrictive and unjust dress codes.