In recent years, what people wear and how they choose to wear it has become a massive concern. As a whole, our society has a huge issue with self-expression. The majority of people are not willing to accept the fact that a man can wear a skirt and their irrelevant opinions are not wanted nor needed. What a person chooses to do with their own body or how they decide to clothe it should be up to them. However, this is not the case.
In situations with adults conducting themselves in ways that are not favorable, they have more of an ability to defend themselves. On the other hand, when children are facing these difficulties, it is much harder for them to remain strong and persistent in their beliefs.
A reoccurring issue regarding adolescents and their clothing is occurring in schools across the country. Dress code restrictions mandated by school districts are becoming extremely strict, which are creating many issues. These students' educations are being compromised by how our society is over-sexualizing their bodies. The media also aids as a negative reinforcement in encouraging officials to blame the student rather than our society.
This is occurring more often in regards to girls than boys and what girls are wearing to school. Administrations seem to have a problem with how short the girls shorts are and how thick their tank top straps are, but these officials don’t have a problem with pulling these students out of class. The rebuttal from the opposing side is that a student's lack of clothing is a distraction in the classroom, but what can be a bigger distraction than being pulled out of class multiple times a day for the same violation? We punish the student who has the skin of their shoulders or knees exposed, but what does that actually resolve? I don’t know about you, but I have never seen a person’s bare shoulder and been distracted because their skin was not covered.
The real issue at hand is what needs to be addressed. You may still be wondering what exactly that is so let me make it abundantly clear. Society must stop sexualizing our bodies. Our meaning men, women, adults and children. Wearing a thin strapped shirt that only exposes one's shoulders is harmless and wouldn't be a distraction if it was allowed to be worn. If this was repeatedly being worn by students it would become as normal as seeing a blackboard in every classroom. Appropriate attire should simply consist of clothing that covers all of the family jewels and should allow for unclothed arms and legs to be seen as nothing more than a protective layer of skin. Society is allowing others to mandate what we wear and there comes a point where the line is being crossed because, at the end of the day, if it's my body, shouldn’t it be my choice?