The Correlation Between School Uniforms and Violence

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Is the absence of school uniforms leading to an up rise of violence between children in public schools? According to the National School Safety Center’s Report on School Associated Violent Deaths, “Since the 1992-1993 school year, two-hundred seven were shooting victims” (Kelly n pag). According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), “10% of all public schools had one or more serious violent crimes (murder, rape, sexual battery, suicide, physical attack or fight with a weapon, or robbery), and most of the serious violent crimes occurred in the middle and high schools” (Kelly n pag).

School uniforms and dress codes should be mandatory for all students enrolled in public schools because they would reduce violence, inappropriate wardrobes, and family stress.

After returning to school each year, each student is given a handbook. This book contains a dress code that explains what is appropriate or inappropriate in school. However, many students do not even take a second glance at it once they receive it. These students also end up breaking the dress code, distracting others, and getting themselves into trouble as well. School is an academic facility, not a fashion scene. Children are expected to go to school to learn, and they should be able to do so without any distractions from others.

A mandatory dress code seems to be extremely rare in public schools. However, over the last thirty years, the use of a mandatory dress code has gradually increased. In the past, murders of students were caused by clothing related violence such as stealing brand name athletic sneakers or expensive jackets.

If public schools have been adopting school uniforms or dress codes more frequently since t...

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...Is basing one’s opinion of school uniforms and their effects on family stress and other children valid? Some people argue that schools should not make school uniforms mandatory because they have never had a problem getting their children dressed and ready for school. They also believe that their children do not discriminate against other children because of the types of clothes they wear. However, simply basing one’s opinion of school uniforms and their effects on family stress and other children is not valid because some families have ample money, time, and help from their spouses or other family members. Also, just because many parents want to think that their children do not discriminate against other children, they are simply not aware of what their children say and do while they are in school for eight hours each day, which is why uniforms should be mandatory.

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