School field trip, bathing suit guidelines

[Dizlvr]

Why in the world would a school have to teach boys not to be distracted? It should just be an expectation of behavior, largely taught at home. If you raise the bar of expectation, children will usually respond. Of course there will be the few outliers that push the envelope, but they can be dealt with individually.

I am so glad that our adolescent boys are not so distracted by hormones in our no-dress-code world that they cannot do their work and act impulsively on these distractions. And guess what, our girls are coming into school in spaghetti strapped camisoles (not lingerie, but the stretchy kind) and shorts that are about thumb knuckle length, not fingertip length. It is not a problem in our school. The thought that these boys are sitting there salivating, being too distracted to concentrate is laughable. I can't imagine a middle school boy who is so distracted by shoulders that he can't control his urges and the school has to be modified to meet his lack of self-control.

Our boys are so used to seeing shoulders and thighs that they are about as distracted as when they see a hand or an elbow. Those that have hormones raging will be distracted no matter what the girl is dressed in. They are expected to deal with it.

Sexual harassment is against the law, not just some school rule. Hopefully the parents have taught their child not to break the law. And if he/she does, then the parents can expect to deal with the school.

Shoulders and thighs are not the problem but I'm pretty sure you know that.
This isn't about sexual harrassment, but again I'm sure you know that, you are just using extremes to try to make your argument valid.
This is about distractions in the classroom, boobs and asses hanging out are just that.

 

[unhinged]

And you don't think they do that now?

There is a difference between being distracted and having a right to other people's bodies and respecting their space.
Dress codes aren't put in place to keep boys from attacking girls and vice versa because they can't control their physical urges. Dress codes are put in place so that those girls and boys have keep their mind on their schoolwork instead of the butts and breasts that are hanging out while they are in the classroom.

You really are not giving boys very much credit. They are not animals reacting to a ***** in heat. They are humans, capable of self-regulation.

As I mentioned before, our boys seem to do just fine keeping their mind on their schoolwork as the school and district, without a dress code, was ranked #1 in the state.

People keep mentioning jobs. How about the jobs that require the adolescents to see these bodies. By your theory, high school boys could never be hired as lifeguards because they would be too distracted by all the bikinis. Yet, that is one of the most popular jobs here for teens.

 

[pryncess527]

Shoulders and thighs are not the problem but I'm pretty sure you know that.
This isn't about sexual harrassment, but again I'm sure you know that, you are just using extremes to try to make your argument valid.
This is about distractions in the classroom, boobs and asses hanging out are just that.

YES, SOMETIMES THEY ARE. Have you not seen the myriad of stories in the last year about girls being shamed for perfectly reasonable outfits? Being sent home from prom or publicly humiliated for a dress that does NOT show their boobs or ***? I'm about to leave work, so sadly do not have time to post a list of links and let you judge for yourself, but perhaps tomorrow.

 

[unhinged]

Shoulders and thighs are not the problem but I'm pretty sure you know that.
This isn't about sexual harrassment, but again I'm sure you know that, you are just using extremes to try to make your argument valid.
This is about distractions in the classroom, boobs and asses hanging out are just that.

Not sure how camisoles and short shorts are boobs and asses hanging out. Who is using extremes?

How would you explain our adolescents being perfectly able to function in an environment with no dress code?

 

[Dizlvr]

Teachers combat "distraction" in a million ways every day without parents getting involved. What on earth makes you think this is any different than the thousands of other things that distract young boys? Making a boy's distracted behavior the fault and responsibility of their female classmates is wrong.

Its about being distracted, and that goes for males and females. But to repeat myself, its a fact that girls clothing is way more revealing and poses a much higher chance of distraction for males than the other way around. You may not like that truth, but its the truth none the less.

 

[Dizlvr]

YES, SOMETIMES THEY ARE. Have you not seen the myriad of stories in the last year about girls being shamed for perfectly reasonable outfits? Being sent home from prom or publicly humiliated for a dress that does NOT show their boobs or ***? I'm about to leave work, so sadly do not have time to post a list of links and let you judge for yourself, but perhaps tomorrow.

Okay, but I never said that there weren't some over the top extreme dress codes. This is about dress codes in general, and what is appropriate for in the schools and classrooms.
I'm about to go pick up my kids, but no need to google, I'm not talking about some extreme isolated cases.

 

[Dizlvr]

Not sure how camisoles and short shorts are boobs and asses hanging out. Who is using extremes?

How would you explain our adolescents being perfectly able to function in an environment with no dress code?

They aren't hanging out because the dress codes prevent that. If you have been in a MS in the last 5 years you'd see plenty of things that would make you cringe, at least here. Maybe where you are everyone is just so wholesome that you don' have that issue, and wouldn't it be nice if schools all over didn't have to worry about it.
Gotta go, have a good one.

 

[unhinged]

They aren't hanging out because the dress codes prevent that. If you have been in a MS in the last 5 years you'd see plenty of things that would make you cringe, at least here. Maybe where you are everyone is just so wholesome that you don' have that issue, and wouldn't it be nice if schools all over didn't have to worry about it.
Gotta go, have a good one.

We don't have a dress code.
I work in the school, so I see it everyday. Yet for some reason, the boys are still able to function quite well. They are able to contain themselves and put their mind to their work. It is not about wholesomeness, but giving boys the credit they deserve that they can actually focus quite well despite the distraction of the girl showing her belly button ring in the seat next to her. Or the girl with the sports bra on and a racerback loose tank over it.

You seem to have a very low opinion of boys, believing they are nothing more than rutting animals, thinking only about sex.

You didn't answer how teens are able to be excellent lifeguards amongst all the bikinis and speedos. Wouldn't they be just as distracted and not able to do their job? Or what about HS sports teams? How do the boys function? Track teams practice and race together and those girls have nothing more than a sports bra on and shorts that resemble bikini bottoms. By your standards, the boys would just be drooling and would never finish a race because they are so distracted.

 

[Mkrop]

Once again all of you up in arms about dress codes and saying the clothes should not be a distraction...were you defending the boys' rights to wear sagging pants as you are for the girls to wear short shorts, camis and tanks? For some reason I doubt it.

 

[unhinged]

Once again all of you up in arms about dress codes and saying the clothes should not be a distraction...were you defending the boys' rights to wear sagging pants as you are for the girls to wear short shorts, camis and tanks? For some reason I doubt it.

I am not against dress codes per se. What I am perplexed about is the reason some people think dress codes are necessary, that boys are in a stupor, unable to concentrate on their school work. And that dress codes are necessary to protect the boys.

I think sagging pants are ridiculous and always laughed at how guys had to walk like a penguin to maintain this form of rebellion. I am pretty sure that adolescent girls were not distracted by it either, mostly they thought it was also funny.

 

[Gracie09]

Once again all of you up in arms about dress codes and saying the clothes should not be a distraction...were you defending the boys' rights to wear sagging pants as you are for the girls to wear short shorts, camis and tanks? For some reason I doubt it.

why not. If they want to look like they are wearing a diaper with a load in it, why should I care.

What people are missing is its not about a dress code or uniforms, in fact I would love uniforms for my kids, but about treating girls and boys differently. Many dress codes are implicitly or explicitly directed at controlling with the female students wear or are enforced in such a manner. If the dress code was this color polo shirt and khaki pants or Bermuda shorts (for all) then great. That applies equally to both sexes. But its not. And that is the issue. Even if on their face they are not directed at one sex or another their application is unequal and that is an issue.

 

[Mkrop]

I am not against dress codes per se. What I am perplexed about is the reason some people think dress codes are necessary, that boys are in a stupor, unable to concentrate on their school work. And that dress codes are necessary to protect the boys.

I think sagging pants are ridiculous and always laughed at how guys had to walk like a penguin to maintain this form of rebellion. I am pretty sure that adolescent girls were not distracted by it either, mostly they thought it was also funny.

why not. If they want to look like they are wearing a diaper with a load in it, why should I care.

What people are missing is its not about a dress code or uniforms, in fact I would love uniforms for my kids, but about treating girls and boys differently. Many dress codes are implicitly or explicitly directed at controlling with the female students wear or are enforced in such a manner. If the dress code was this color polo shirt and khaki pants or Bermuda shorts (for all) then great. That applies equally to both sexes. But its not. And that is the issue. Even if on their face they are not directed at one *** or another their application is unequal and that is an issue.

But the reason that many schools started not allowing the saggy pants, was bc they were a distraction, maybe to all? but a distraction nonetheless.

 

[robinb]

Once again all of you up in arms about dress codes and saying the clothes should not be a distraction...were you defending the boys' rights to wear sagging pants as you are for the girls to wear short shorts, camis and tanks? For some reason I doubt it.

Sagging doesn't bother me.

 

[Gracie09]

But the reason that many schools started not allowing the saggy pants, was bc they were a distraction, maybe to all? but a distraction nonetheless.

There is a socio/economic history surrounding saggy pants and the banning of them. The fact that they may be a distraction to some (and I would debate that as it is no longer unusual to see them in school or around town etc) is at the bottom of the list as to why they were banned in some places. Since board rules don't permit discussions of political issues I would recommend a simple google search to see the issues surrounding sagging pants.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I am not against dress codes per se. What I am perplexed about is the reason some people think dress codes are necessary, that boys are in a stupor, unable to concentrate on their school work. And that dress codes are necessary to protect the boys.

Women have kept me in a perpetual stupor for the past 35 years. Though I can't say spaghetti straps were ever to blame

 

[luvsJack]

I don't think anyone is saying that teen boys are not able to control themselves around girls that are scantily clad. Dress codes exist in most schools because there are too many kids that want to push the envelope too far. And most see educating the students as more important than having to deal with each instance individually.

 

[Dizlvr]

I never said teens weren't able to function if distracted you all are just trying to look for something to argue about. I think some are trying to nitpick, and that is okay if you can't see (or don't want to admit) the logic in keeping distractions out of the classroom, and why its done, I can and obviously the schools can too.

 

[NotUrsula]

IMO, the whole "distraction" excuse is just that, a red herring. What educators are really trying to avoid is the possibility of having to deal with harassment incidents. I was in middle school in the late 60's/early 70's, which is arguably the "skimpiest" era ever in terms of women's clothing styles. Yes, we *did* wear string bikinis at age 12, and no one ever objected at the time (really -- I lived in the heart of the Bible belt then, and NO ONE objected. (Well, except for the Pentecostals, who didn't allow swimsuits at all for girls, because there was no such thing then as a swimsuit with a knee-length skirt.)

I am the same age as a whole lot of present-day school administrators, and what I remember VERY clearly from those days is that if there was a possibility of embarrassing someone by causing a "wardrobe failure", it was a favorite prank to pull. It never failed that the boys made a game out of sneaking up on a girl in a string bikini or a bow-tied halter top to see if they could untie one of the bows. The girls, OTOH, went for a different prank on pubescent boys; one that was often directly caused by the sight of "private" areas of skin. (They knew it would cause the other boys to tease him unmercifully.)

The issue with baggy pants as a distraction isn't in people staring at them or watching that boy trip over his own feet; it is in the likelihood that *someone* in that age group isn't going to be able to resist the temptation to jerk them down in public, resulting in a big headache of having to punish the perpetrator and deal with the anger of the parents of the kid who got pantsed.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

When I went to take my college math placement test I was seated behind a guy wearing a t-shirt that had frogs and their scientific names all over it. I'm a zoology geek and this proved to be the single most distracting thing I'd ever encountered in my school career. Instead of taking the test, I was reading his shirt. Every time he leaned forward an inch, I looked up from my paper hoping to see one of the frogs that had been previously blocked by his chair. I bombed that test. Could not concentrate to save my life. The funny thing is, I always knew that was my fault for not having the self-control to keep my eyes where they were supposed to be. It never crossed my mind that he was the problem. But, it sounds like some people here would support a ban on frog shirts? Because, distraction and whatnot. Poor girl's just trying to take a test and here comes Mr. Amphibian flaunting all that sexy taxonomy in her face... What's she supposed to do? No one could concentrate on quadratic equations with all that going on.

 

[sam_gordon]

IMO, the whole "distraction" excuse is just that, a red herring.

I'm starting to wonder that myself. Maybe they just want kids 'presentable' (yes, I know that gets defined differently depending on who you ask).

I am curious... those of you who are complaining about dress codes, have you complained to TPTB at all? Tried to organize parents/kids in a fight to change what you don't like?