How does a Dress Code Affect Teens?

Dress codes are a norm in a lot of middle schools and high schools. The schools that teens attend. There are good reasons why these schools have dress codes in place, for example, for safety they have their students wear a certain uniform, so they know who a student is and who is not a student. In this article I will talk about how dress codes affect mental health, physical expression, and the reasons why a dress code is needed but should not be so uncompromising.

How Do Dress Codes Affect Student Mental Health?

School dress codes are enforced by 20% of the nations of schools and these enforced dress codes, according to a study done at schools in D.C. Evans’ research have proven that some school dress codes cause students to leave school. When schools use obnoxious discipline techniques, it causes students to feel uncomfortable and leave the school. After Evan interviewed in students and exposed schools for having unfair dress codes on the students the schools were made to change their dress codes to be fairer for all students in the school’s system. After this change, students were allowed to give their ideas for dress codes and where asked questions like what changes they would make to the dress code, what they thought about the uniforms, and what should the consequences be for not following the dress code.

How Do Dress Codes Affect Students Behavior?

School dress codes can affect teens on a phycological level by affecting their behavior and the way they see themselves and others. When being stuck to a dress code it can affect socialization in the future. Dress codes can cause students to feel less safe and cause them to act less social. They feel less comfortable, and it can impact not only their behavior but also their ability to learn as well if they were comfortable. Another aspect of the dress code that affects the comfort of students is the inequality of the dress code strictness on different students and distinct types of clothing that each gender prefers. 

Why Are Student Dress Codes Necessary?

School dress codes are undoubtedly important to the safety of students, and it makes it a little easier for the teachers and staff to identify the grade each student is in. Some schools have a dress code that is color coordinated to the grade that they are in. This makes the teacher know the grade with which they are dealing. The safety aspect to the uniforms is that the uniforms are good to see who a student is and who isn’t a student. The students are the only people that wear those clothes that are specific to the school dress code. It also makes it harder to hide things that are not allowed to be brought into the school. In school dress code, most schools require students to wear identification badges and these badges make it easier for the teachers to identify the students and keep them safe in another way to see that if the person is even a student at the school.

Written by: Ariya