Are School Dress Codes Sexist and Damaging to Girls?

<p><strong><u>Show Notes</u></strong>:</p> <p>Topics discussed in this podcast: Should girls be allowed to wear sexy outfits to school? Dances? Going to parties? How are school dress codes damaging to girls? What can parents do to support their daughters with this issue?</p> <p><strong><u>Old beliefs</u></strong> <u><strong>drive decisions about dress codes</strong></u>: that the female body is inherently tempting and leads to sin, so cover it! School dress codes tend to target girls more than boys; inherent message that girls and women can’t be trusted to dress themselves properly, so we have to mandate laws & dress codes to stop them from tempting boys and men</p> <p><strong>Message dress code and violations gives to boys</strong>: The idea that they cannot control themselves in the presence of girls and women who look a certain way implies that they are no more than animals with no self-control</p> <p>Dr. Jordan shares insights about what girls say about why they dress the ways that they do. <a href= "https://www.garfieldmessenger.org/6328/articles/ae/self-expression-through-style/"> <strong>Self-expression</strong></a> plays a crucial role in identity development and one major form of this expression is through one’s clothing. <a href= "https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/543644">“Fashion</a> and clothing are used to create and reveal a cultural, social, and personal identity. Part of their identity is embodied by clothing and fashion.</p> <p><strong><u>Effects of dress codes on girls</u></strong>: studies found that <strong>83%</strong> of students cited for dress code violations were girls. Study findings also demonstrated how the methods of school dress code enforcement promote a sexually objectifying environment in which girls feel physically and psychologically unsafe. Also, the findings of this study revealed that girls experience body shame, self-objectification, and powerlessness through dress code enforcement and sex education in school.</p> <p><strong>Sexism</strong> is rampant in the