Have you ever gone into your school, and instantly be taken to the office because of your clothes or hair? No matter if it really is appropriate. You're immediately sent home because you have blue hair, or because you wore a dress! It seems ridiculous to be called a troublemaker due to your shorts. No matter what the dress code is, it always seems easier for males.
During the duration of my middle school experience, dress codes were always strict, and the main problem. The teachers would make me feel degraded just because my skirt was an inch too short for the dress codes. my advisory teacher in 6th grade told me i was a "provocative adolescent" because i dyed my hair. I went to look at the dress codes to see if there was a rule against dyed hair, when this happened, i found something interesting.
The female dress code had a total of thirty-seven rules, while males had a total of eight. The basics of the female codes were to cover up a certain length to keep from distracting fellow classmates (the male student population). The male rules basically told them not to wear gang-related clothing and not to wear basketball shorts. What!
I felt complete rage towards the system, since they generally are telling girls to be non-distracting to males and to not wear clothes that might provoke sexual attention. I don't understand how shoulders, knees, and collarbones are going to be sexually attractive! I asked a female and male friend during middle school to wear shorts shorter than their fingertips. The female was given a day of In School Suspension, while the male was gone unnoticed.
Later, in the school year, they loosened up their codes to attract less negative attention. And when i say loosened, i mean they gave freedom to hair color only. Almost every person in the school dyed their hair a vibrant color. The school seemed like a much more uplifting place! Imagine what would happen if females were stopped being grilled about showing their skin.
In Kentucky, a female student was called to the office because of her clothes. This included a tank top covered with a cardigan with jeans. She apparently violated the code by showing her collarbones. the mother of the high school student brought a scarf for the duration of the day, but was sent home for still being inappropriate!
In China, a student committed suicide in order to protest a dress code. The child was told by the faculty to cut her hair to be in code. The student allegedly jumped out the window. Something should change in dress codes if it leads to suicide!
If such ridiculous events are occurring (and making the news!), obviously the system should change to create a more equal balance. maybe they should bite down on male student! Or maybe STOP biting down on the average developing body of a female teenager!
In the past, schools have slut-shamed female students based on their fashion. Schools have been known to pressure insecurities into young children minds. Its really ridiculous how strict dress codes can be! And the difference between male and female restrictions are extreme.
Why do schools have to be so cruel to undeserving students, telling them what their wearing is sexual. Ankles are only "sexual" in the systems' eyes! The codes are just a smaller version of the well known (and too frequent) situation: blaming a victim of sexual assault because of what they were wearing or their body.
