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The debate over whether students should wear school uniforms has been going on for more than a decade. While some people argue uniforms have a positive impact on the school environment, others fear they prevent kids from expressing themselves through their clothing choices.
The research on school uniforms is often mixed. While some schools have found uniforms to be beneficial, other research has found that they have little effect. (Some studies have even reached the conclusion that uniforms can be harmful.)
Let's take a closer look at some of the potential benefits, as well as the challenges, of requiring students to wear uniforms.
Student Safety
Some people think that school uniforms can help make schools safer for kids. When Long Beach, CA, required all students in grades K–8 to wear uniforms, reports of assault and battery decreased by 34%.1
Additionally, assault with a deadly weapon decreased by 50%, fighting incidents declined 51%, and sex offenses dropped by 74%. Possession of weapons dropped by 52%, possession of drugs went down 69%, and vandalism was lowered by 18%.1
The Sparks Middle School in Nevada reported a decrease in gang activity after instituting a uniform policy. They also reported a drop in fights, graffiti, property damage, and battery. Overall, there was a 63% drop in police reports. 2
Other proponents of school uniforms report that it prevents students from concealing weapons under clothing. And some also believe intruders would be recognized faster, making the students and staff safer in the event someone from the community tries to enter the school.
Not all studies have found that uniforms reduce discipline issues, however. In fact, a peer-reviewed study found that school uniforms increased the average number of assaults by about 14 per year in the most violent schools. 3 The Miami-Dade County Public Schools Office of Education Evaluation and Management found that fights in middle schools nearly doubled within one year of making uniforms mandatory.4
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