Work and School Dress Codes Article Review Sample

The article addresses an action by the school administration regarding the dress code by Krischer Hayley. Though the move by the school administration was based on a policy to improve decency and the ethics of personal presentation, it could have easily destroyed the self-esteem of 17-year-old Lizzy. Notably, the reprimand from the dean and the school principal and forcing her to wear an undershirt to protect the boys’ perception was intimidating. Besides, the approach taken, such as forcing her to stand and move around for the dean, was humiliating and infuriating, which are major causes for low self-esteem among teenagers in the school system. In this instance, the approach to dressing code and methodology used to implement school policies, such as the adopted punitive and correctional ways, should be sensitive to the behavioral and psychological impacts they impose on the victims.

Moreover, the verbal and behavioral aspects of implementing the school dress code have far-reaching implications for the learners. For instance, the dean suggested and implemented bandages to cover Lizzy’s nipples, which were hurting, uncomfortable, and annoying. The other cases in the article are also illustrations of intimidation directed at the female students based on their growing bodies and in relation to the school dress code. As observed, the policy implementation regarding the school dress code often results in methods that cause more harm to the learners. For instance, deteriorated self-esteem overrides all the benefits that would be achieved by effectively implementing decent dressing in school. Besides, low self-esteem would also negatively impact students’ academic, social, and philosophical development. The case, therefore, is a mastermind illustration of a wrongful implementation of a good policy, resulting in low self-esteem among learners.

Works Cited

Krischer, Hayley. “Is Your Body Appropriate to Wear to School?” The New York Times. (2018).