Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this piece are not a reflection of the views of Paw Prints Weekly as a whole. They are the sole views of the author. Paw Prints Weekly celebrates a diverse audience and staff, and it supports the declaration of the duties and rights of a Journalist per the U.S. Constitution.
For years, schools all over the country have restricted girls’ clothing choices by deeming what they wear “too distracting,” negatively influencing young girls that their bodies should be concealed.
The dress code at Glen A. Wilson prohibits tank tops, crop tops and ripped jeans. By saying this, the dress code tells girls at school that their body is disruptive to the general male student body and other teachers.
Why should girls have to hide their shoulders and stomach just so boys can focus and have an education? Nothing about a minor’s shoulders and bare stomach should be considered sexual in any way. Women aren’t objects that should be sexualized.
If a girl wears a tank top and leggings to school, others will say she is provoking the boys in her class. Shaming girls who are violating the dress code can also lead to low self esteem among themselves.
Oftentimes, girls are sent home because their outfit was “inappropriate for school.” A girl should not miss out on their education just because someone could not keep their eyes to themselves. Girls should be able to wear what they want without having to worry about what others think of them.
Instead of forcing girls to cover up, boys should be taught to keep their eyes to themselves. Boys need to be responsible for their inappropriate actions towards women.
Some people may think that women have to cover up because of the nature of their body. Instead of forcing women to cover up parts of their body that they cannot control, teach men to understand that women simply do not exist for men.
Even though some aspects of the dress code are reasonable, most of it stems from sexist and outdated opinions about women’s bodies. We are not a distraction and our bodies should not be sexualized.
As well as being sexist, the dress code limits freedom of expression. Some people use their clothes as a way to express themselves but the dress code prevents this. By banning different types of accessories and clothing options, students may feel restricted in what they can or cannot wear.
Even though students should be allowed freedom of expression, clothes with drugs, alcohol and other illicit graphics should not be allowed on campus. These inappropriate themes may be troubling for other students on campus.
Recently, students at Glen A. Wilson organized a protest this week against the district’s unfair dress code. By coming together as a group to fight the policy, students are showing their motivation to seek change.
In fact, it is not even the clothes and behavior that induce men to sexually assault women. The study Marked for Mayhem from ,Psychology Today shows that women with a quieter personality who wear modest clothes such as long sleeves are more likely to get raped than women wearing more revealing clothing and with more provocative behavior.
The dress code is also a factor that contributes to rape culture. Rape culture is defined as conditions where sexual violence against women is normalized. By telling girls that their outfit is too revealing and may give men “ideas,” it is basically telling them that sexual assault can be prevented if a woman acts a certain way. This is not true at all.
What a woman wears does not make them more susceptible to sexual assault. The ban of spaghetti straps, low-cut shirts, and other everyday clothing, therefore, does not make sense; instead of mandating what a woman wears, teach men not to rape.
This being said, school dress codes restricting a girl’s outfit choices should be removed. Women’s bodies should not be viewed as inappropriate and distracting. This sexist approach to a woman’s appearance needs to be changed, and we will keep speaking up until change is made.
