Dress Code In Schools Essay Example

50%. That’s the percentage of how many young women have been sexually harassed in a school environment.  What is the only thing that holds 50% back? The Virginia Beach CIty Public School’s dress code.  This shows that VBCPS needs to maintain and enforce the dress code because it helps both girls and boys to stay focused, it protects the girls from potential harassment, and it prepares young women for the future. 

The first reason why the Virginia Beach City Public School’s dress code should be maintained and enforced is because it helps both girls and boys stay focused on academics. Certain clothes cause unneeded distraction to many students. When girls wear an article of clothing that is revealing, it causes other students to become less focused in class.  This shows that even though boys are taught to not look at girls in a certain way, they are still tempted to look at girls when they wear revealing clothes. Studies show that girls wearing revealing clothes are more distracting and have a negative impact on boys.   When a boy is distracted in class and not listening, they may start slipping in school. Even the most respected of students have a hard time staying focused when females wear suggestive clothing. Personally, even when girls are wearing normal clothing, sometimes when I find girls attractive I still look at them. Girls should wear clothes according to the dress code because it helps them focus, and the students around them focus.

That’s not all, the dress code also protects the girls from potential harassment. Wearing certain clothes could potentially put girls at risk for sexual harassment. Study shows that 50% of girls and young women become sexually harassed at school. This means that even when we have a dress code, a large number of girls and young women are still harassed in a school environment. Just think about what would happen if we didn’t have a dress code. In my school, the administrators maintain and enforce the dress code. I have seen and heard little about sexual abuse. This suggests that the VBCPS dress code has played a role in protecting the young women. The dress code keeps young women and girls safe physically, and mentally. 

Last, the dress code prepares the young women for life in the future. School is meant to be a place to learn and grow. All humans need to learn about what life is going to be like when they become adults. When you are working at a job, your boss is not going to permit you to wear revealing clothing. Wearing nice clothes that cover up your body is part of looking professional. Also, violating clothing guidelines at your job could lead to multiple warnings, and eventually you getting fired. By enforcing the dress code, it trains girls to know what is appropriate to wear in a working environment, and what is not. Having a dress code prepares females for their long life ahead by keeping them aware of what to wear, and what not to wear in a working environment.

Helping boys and girls stay focused, protecting young women from potential harassment, and preparing young women for life in the future makes it no wonder that VBCPS created the dress code and have been enforcing it ever since.  The dress code is needed to help students learn and grow in knowledge, to prepare their life for the future.  We all wait for a day when, 50% decreases to 40%, then to 30%, and eventually, to 0%.