Student Dress Code Essay

Girls are unequally cited, getting significantly more citations than boys do for dress code. Girls report that they feel embarrassed or ashamed by school authorities when cited, which has a negative impact on girls’ confidence and sense of self. Because girls have more fashion options than boys, they are subjected to more attention to the dress codes, however transgendered students also have higher rates of citations because they do not wear what is expected of their sex, even if it falls within dress code regulations. Dress codes affect students because they limit freedom of expression through their clothing and empower school authorities to regulate student identity.
An article in The Atlantic by Li Zhou called “The Sexism of School …show more content…
In addition to Maggie Sunseri’s youtube video and facebook page discussed in Li Zhou’s article, other teens have also used social media to address the negative impacts of school dress codes on girls. Administrative enforcement of dress codes can negatively impact a girl’s confidence and sense of self by body-shaming and blaming them for promoting sexual harassment. In an article by Taylor Pittman in The Huffington Post about the sexism of school dress codes, the author describes the emotional reaction of a student after being disciplined by an administrator, in which the girl was “sobbing as she left class, humiliated that she was sent out to change from a skirt and high socks to [B]ermuda shorts.” One student posted on facebook that “Yes, I am a woman. I am [a] women with thighs, a butt, and a brain. I am bigger that Beaufort High School. All of us are. Maybe instead of worrying about my skirt, Beaufort High School should take notice of its incompetent employees, and sexist leaders.” This same student Carey Burgess, admits that there are some cases in which administrators should address violations of dress codes but that the majority of dress code incidentes “are petty and take away from learning,” failing to prioritize