School Uniform

Introduction

School is an environment in which children learn. Basically, those things that encourage learning are acceptable and those things that discourage it are unacceptable. School violence is considered one of those unacceptable items and one of the ways in which school districts are discouraging school violence is by implementing school uniforms. School violence is a very real and ever increasing problem. Administrators, teachers and parents are constantly searching for a concrete way to curb this trend and make our public schools safer for both students and staff. One solution that has been touted lately is to require students to wear uniforms. While this might seem like a viable option and early attempts seemed promising, little empirical evidence has been collected that supports the reduction of violence by merely requiring students to conform to a standard of dress. No one disputes the fact that our public schools have become increasingly more dangerous for both staff and students. And although most schools are still one of the safest places our children can spend their time, violent behavior is on the rise. This is not only true in our inner-city schools, but also in our suburban and rural schools. While cases of violence has been evidenced in elementary school for the purpose of this paper I will focus on secondary schools, both middle and high schools. According to Daniel J. Flannery and Mark I. Singer (1999) violence takes many forms, “As children grow older, into middle school, violent behavior can become more serious, characterized by bullying, extortion, and physical fighting.” (Pg. 2) It is with this in mind that many districts across the country are suggesting the addition of school uniforms as one solution to the growing problem.

School Uniform

The school uniform is either a formal or informal form of dress that some schools have implemented in order to curb violence and eliminate distractions in this important learning environment. Usually when individuals think of the school uniform, they think of plaid skirts on girls with little suit jackets and a scarf around their neck. For boys, the thought turns to dress pants and jackets with white shirts underneath and a tie to match the girls' skirts.

But this is not necessarily so. Some schools simply ask that their students wear a certain color dress shirt with khaki pants or another type of dress pant. This tends to be the more affordable form of uniform and one that parents rarely argue with.

The benefits

Another policy rising in popularity is school uniforms. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Education suggests that school uniforms can help reduce theft, violence, and the negative effects of peer pressure caused when some students come to school wearing designer clothing and expensive sneakers. A uniform code also prevents gang members from wearing colors and insignia that could cause trouble and helps school officials recognize intruders who do not belong on campus. In Long Beach, California, students, teachers, parents, and school officials worked together to establish a uniform code for ...