Why Are Some Schools Requiring Uniforms or Tightening Dress-Code Policies?
Concerns about school violence have led to increased interest in and acceptance of uniform policies, which specify what must be worn, or strict dress codes, which identify prohibited attire. Ronald D. Stephens, executive director of the National School Safety Center, states, “In the wake of school shootings, communities and schools are much more willing to embrace uniforms as well as a number of other strategies to enhance student safety” (White 2000). Even before the recent series of school shootings, a survey of principals conducted by the National Association of Secondary School Principals found strong support for uniforms. Seventy percent of the 5,500 principals surveyed at NASSP s 1996 annual conference said they believed “requiring students to wear uniforms to school would reduce violent incidents and discipline problems” (Brown 1998). In addition to having a sense that uniforms may aid in violence prevention, many administrators “believe that uniforms will reduce discipline refe
