School Uniforms Can Actually Cause an Increase in Bullying and they should be Banned.
If you thought that requiring all students to wear uniforms can lessen the chances of bullying, you are dead wrong! In fact, it can actually increase the incidence of bullying, especially in school districts where violence rates are soaring.
A 1999 study conducted by experts from Texas Southern University showed that bullying incidents increased by as much as 12%, after the implementation of mandatory uniform wearing.
Echoing this sentiment is a 2007 study published in the Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice. According to the research, assaults increased by as much as 14 incidences yearly, right after the introduction of school uniforms.
A similar finding was discovered by the Office of Education, Evaluation, and Management of the Miami-Dade County. Violence, especially in the middle schools, increased by a hundred fold after the students were required to wear uniforms.
Simply put, research shows that uniforms do not actually stop bullying. People think that these can stop the violence, but they actually don’t. Even when everybody’s wearing the same thing, a student’s distinct personality will still stand out.
Although clothes serve as a primary basis for violence and bullying, bullies eventually find another way to show their status – that they are still better than their contemporaries.
According to academician Tony Volk, an expert on bullying, “There is no evidence in bullying literature that supports a reduction in violence due to school uniforms.” Even minus the uniform, he adds that bullies can come up with other reasons that can justify violence and aggression towards their fellow students.