Reavealing clothing...?
 

[Okay, just so everyone knows, I have never really actually debated, so I'm sorry if I come off ignorant a lot of time. That's where I need you to argue against me so I can improve my skills! :] Please don't be too offended, really this is my first topic in the debate forum and probably one of my first five posts here. xD]

All right. Now in middle schools and high schools (im Canadian so I guess Jr. Highs and High schools) there are A LOT of girls wearing very revealing clothing. They are wearing skirts that only go halfway down their thigh, and many are wearing even less then that barely covering their butts. A lot of girls are wearing tanks, and really revealing tops in schools too, and cleavage tops too.

I know women have been fighting for ages to be able to wear pants, and like have freedom of dressing. But now, it seems that today's youth is just sabotaging all the respect that they fought for you know? I mean I think girls are degrading themselves when they come dressed to SCHOOL in skirts above finger tips length, and there shirt only hanging onto them by two measily straps!

Now this is just a generalization. But we here about girls (and guys but this isn't really much to do about them in this topic) getting sexually assaulted, harassed, and raped. Do you not think that girls who expose themselves in this manner are higher targets for this stuff? I do, I mean these guys are sick perverts.

Also, do you think that girls who wear these revealing clothings that I have mentioned are more likely to lose their virginity faster? I mean, by dressing like that, aren't you sort of asking for male attention? You are already letting them take advantage of you just by letting them see all that, I'm sure the guys are anticipating for the WHOLE THING now uncovered.

Now, I know in Canada like no public schools have uniforms...but what would be so wrong with it? I mean a lot people are made fun of each other based on how they dress. If everyone was wearing the same thing, we wouldn't have to worry so much about people degrading themselves at a place that is meant for learning. Yes, of course people do make fun of each other on other levels as well, but why not take away one more level to make fun of? Some people will probably say that freedom of dressing helps individuallity. I think it's a little sad though if what defines you as indivdually unique is by how you dress, and not by your personal characteristics, hobbies, etc. Shouldn't the school be teaching teens to look past appearances? I mean, I know individuallity can be defined by someone with a lot of cool piercings, or a sweet tattoo, or even really revealing clothing. But individuallity can be just as easily defined by like being on sports teams, having an interest in politics, loving to read, playing an instrument, being extremely friendly, a good listener, etc, etc.

I know that the girls who go to excessive levels of exposure, probably still would expose themselves after school, or at like dances and whatever on the weekend. But is it really necessary for them to be exposing themselves at a place meant for learning.


So what do you think? Should in schools that have VERY lenient dress codes to do with revealing clothes be more strict? Do you think in MOST cases, that girls who reveal themselves are just basically asking for some sexual attention? etc, etc. Please discuss, argue, agree, whatever floats your boat. ;]

I think it's largely the media's fault. Young girls may not actually want sexual attention when they dress like that, but everything around them tells them that they have to be sexy to be popular, and society in general tells us that being popular is desireable. So they may just want to be well-liked and get a little attention from boys, not actually knowingly leading them on with clothing-flavored promises of sex.

And I don't care HOW a woman is dressed, that's never an excuse for rape. Rapists use the, "look at what she's wearing, she's obviously a slut, she wanted it" line as a way of shifting the blame to the victim. It's sad and pathetic. Just because a woman may happen to like wearing tank tops or a mini skirt doesn't mean she's a slut, nor that she's begging for it. Statistically, rape is about dominance more often than it is about desire. In those cases, a woman wearing a conservative skirt down to her ankles is just as much at risk as one wearing short-shorts. That doesn't make the woman in short-shorts any less of a victim.

I don't really agree with the exposure calling to be touched/raped and such a good statement. In fact, it's a little stereotypical. You fail to realize that we don't hear about a lot of rapes because of this, but because the person is sick in the head. Most of the rapes/touching incidents are done to little girls and boys who are too innocent to know much of anything about this. Even if she was exposing herself, that does NOT give the male an excuse to touch her! If she says "No" then it means "No!"

I believe that if school's enforced the dress code more harshly, then there would be no problems with girls showing almost everything running around during school hours. Why? because at my school they would get a little realization with ABS (Alternative Bell Schedule) and be sent home. My school had a HUGE problem with girls and inappropriate clothing, but it's improved tremendously because of all the hard work they have put into making the school a better place.

I believe uniforms are not the answer. Why? I also had to wear these in Elementary school and it actually caused a rebellion. I remember entire classes of 5th graders would show up with no uniform and their personal clothing on and that entire class would get sent home. This inconvenienced not only the teacher, but the school for loosing about 25-30 kids because of their dress code. Also, in some countries that require them as well-- it only causes girls to roll their skirts up and wear as many accessories as they possibly can.

I believe also that if a person looks past all the media attention on "shorter clothing, you have to be as skinny as a stick" people would have no problem and the fashion industry would have to conform to us instead of us to them.

I don't want to seem to be taking a controversial side on this, but in a sense, the viewpoint I'm bringing to the table, can be bashed because it's all opinion.

If the peoples parents weren't trying to suck up to their children (IE: if they would actually parent), then the student could be told by those that have the right to tell him/her not to wear revealing clothing. I know the first thing everyone is going to think of is: "It won't matter, they'll rebel." Well that goes back to parenting. Take this from a good kid, (past viewpoint, haven't lived with my parents for awhile) when my parents say something and I can tell that they're serious, do I question why they're enforcing such things on me? Do I question why they won't let me do something? No... All I know is, when I do what they tell me, I get privileges and benefits. Not necessarily material things either, but enough to keep me involved but not spoilt and make me a better person. That is the parents job... Anyone that argues that... I'd have to say you either aren't a good parent, or your parents weren't good parents. But... Back to subject.

As an opposing viewpoint, say a parent does let their child wear revealing things in the school place. Also, say something happened to their child that could be blamed on revealing clothing. DO YOU THINK that they say WELL HE/SHE WAS ASKING FOR IT? No, No.... and No. Why? Because no person deserves any traumatic experience based upon their apparel, music choices, or maybe even friend group.

I think I may have rambled a bit... but.. read it, if you don't like it: meh, it's my interpretation of my opinion, if you do like it: you really are just agreeing with my opinion (or part of it). Beauty of Debate.

I think a lot of younger girls don't even know what they're doing when they wear super-revealing outfits. I know it's not particularly "revealing" but when 11 year olds wear pants with words printed across the butt, it's like asking someone to look at the butt. Most 11 year olds that I've known wouldn't want someone to do that, but the clothing itself is drawing attention there. They often don't understand the full impact of what they're wearing.

Often people just don't think before they do something that's fashion related. I just hope this will pass into the logs of fashion history one day.

I'm sure many people wear revealing clothing because they want to impress someone that they know and like. What a lot of people don't realize is that they will get attention from people they don't know and don't like. If you wear revealing clothing, just take some precautions. It's not right that you should have to, but this is how life is right now.

As for me, I'll wear something a little low cut for a special occasion, but that's about it. Wearing stuff that leaves nothing to the imagination every day at work or school seems very indelicate to me.

The majority of the girls in my school dress like this, and they're giving off the wrong impressions most of the time -- because I know a lot of them, and they're sweet girls, but they think they need to show their body off and flaunt it in the most sexual way possible in order to, well, get sex or even attention for that matter.

I'll say it now before I go further. I'm seventeen, I'm a virgin, and I don't dress revealingly. My style is nothing more than an over-sized t-shirt and really baggy jeans. It's relaxed, it's comfortable, and I really don't think girls my age or younger (or even up until age 21) need to be even relatively concerned about showing their body off in that way. We're still kids. We're not women. Yet.

So, yeah, I'm with you on this one. The majority of young girls and women are too slutty in the way they dress. I wish we could make a law about how little clothing you can wear.

I mean honestly -- they're practically wearing the equivalent of bikinis (or worse) to a mall and even SCHOOL. Where has society gone wrong?!

This argument is hard to debate.

Personally, I don't think revealing clothing should be allowed in an institution of learning all the way up to university. You are there to learn, not pick up boys/men. I am all for all schools wearing uniforms.

It is true that dressing revealingly makes one look like they are more sexually open and therefore are seen in a negative light--that is not empowering, it's degrading! That's is insulting to anyone of the female persuasion! It's possible to dress sexily without dressing sluttily--but girls for the past decade have had celebrities to model after who are capricious and partiers and that is not what young people should strive to be like.

Unfortunately everyone knows that sex sells. Sex gets attention. Sex is in the limelight right now and there is nothing that is going to shove it out. Society is going about it in the wrong way.

I guess I'm a hypocryte when I say this, but I agree that girls in schools need to dress more modestly. The attention that they are attracting is the exact same attention that they are bringing to the pricipals and headmasters as harassment. And it's not just the girls, but I have seen guys wearing their pants down past their knees and it seems that the "trendy indie" kids are into short-short trainer shorts. Clothing like this is distracting in a school environment and should be curtailed. Ok, I said I was a hypocryte, but that's because I will wear mini-skirts and low cut tops, but I do this for my guy. I don't want the attention of other men staring and undressing me with their eyes, so I don't wear said clothing in school or at work. Wandering eyes of older (and I mean like twice as old as I am) men have seen me dressed nicely, not skimpy not whoreish, and they creep me out so much. I avoid certain places because of creepy old men staring at me, I have even gone as far as dressing like a bag lady.
I am not saying that all women should dress to cover all, but that they should be aware of the attention that they are attracting and when it is approprite to attract said attention.

There lies the heart of the issue. If people understood this (and found a way to combat it), we'd have no "troubled youth" dilemna ;P

There still should not be anyone saying that something bad happened to someone, "because they were asking for it." If that's the case, I hope you get in a car accident, because you were driving, and therefore "asking for it." That's how those things go... Eat life.

I agree with you that no one regardless of what they wear, what music they listen to, what they look like, or who their friends are, deserves to have something bad happen to them. I have to agree/disagree with you about the parenting.

I am a parent. I have a 13 year old girl and an 8 year old boy. When I was in junior high I walked to school. I would stop off at a friend's house before I got there. Her parents were already gone to work. I was not the type to dress in skimpy clothes but the point is, if I were, how would my mother have known differently? (Aside from the school taking responsibility at that point) When I was in high school I went to school an hour from home. I could change anywhere. Thanks to my mother's parenting I would not do that. I was a good kid. My own daughter wouldn't do this because she is not one to wear skimpy outfits and she knows I'll kill her (figuratively :)) What about latch key kids who are home alone? Parents may be in situations where they have to go to work and leave the kids and they have done everything right as far as parenting but since they are not physically there the child chooses to do whatever. How far as parents should we have to go to make sure our kids are not dressed like hookers at school? Do I have to check in with an unannounced visit at school?

Now understand that I know it is my responsibility to make sure my daughter doesn't dress like that. I hope that I have raised her with some moral standards and hope she understands that she has more to offer than just her body. As parents though, where do we draw the line and actually begin trusting our children and our parenting skills?

You know what's most amusing about this topic-- How much people think that it's wrong to wear revealing clothing and it's disgusting when they do.
I think this ties in with the prostitution argument. I believe that if you don't like revealing clothing here, then you wouldn't agree with it there-- right? Well there are some people who apparently have a two-sided coin to these topics. I personally think they are one in the same.

Just an observation. :wink:

I think there is a difference between revealing a little skin here and there and having your ass hanging out the bottom of your skirt. Women can be completely sexy wearing an ordinary pair of jeans and a t shirt. The jeans may be fitted and the shirt might be a little tight and it flatters their figure.

What I find disgusting is little girls wearing clothes that are meant for much older women thinking that they are sexy. And kooky, you're right. It is the parents that take the girls shopping and is their responsibility to make sure the kids are dressed appropriately. I make my daughter try on everything. I bring my friend Karina (I'm a single parent) so I have some back up as far as what is acceptable and what is not.

I don't need to live vicariously through a 13 year old. I can be hot all on my own, lol.

I dont like it when girls wear revealing clothing, cause most of them just do it to get attention, but then they get all pissed off when guys hit on them..I mean COMEON, you dont have to wear sweatpants, but you can at least wear more tastefull clothing!

i don't approve of girls dressing like sluts.

i know a lot of it is hormone fuelled, the media play a big part by constantly showing celebrities dressed like whores and banging on about how you have to dress like this to be attractive, and, as others have said, the girls parents!

what are they thinking? why on earth would you want your young and hopefully virginal daughter to look like a hooker?

clothing manufacturers want shooting in my opinion, they don't care what they're doing to society, they're only interested in lining their own pockets, you see clothes now for very young girls, i'm talking 6 year olds, with really inappropriate slogans on them, which a certain type of parent will buy because they think it's 'cute'

now, the 'if they dress like that they deserve it' debate..

well, what can i say, i'm afraid i tend to think they do, if a girl goes out to a club, with everything she has on show, she must expect unwanted attention. true, a man who will try and force himself on a girl, is likely to do it regardless of what she (isn't) wearing, but if you go out looking like a whore...

i know a lot of you say it's a person's choice to flaunt her body, and she should be able to do so safely, but get real. it's a jungle out there, and you need to protect yourself.
you can dress sexily without crossing over the line into sluttish, it's not necessary to have your bare ass hanging out of a skirt, or 75% of your breasts on show, it's not a cattle market.

to be honest i think dressing like that only attracts a certain type of man anyway, so if a girl advertises her wares in such a way, she's never going to catch anyone who's worthy of keeping. because the decent men don't want girls like that. they appreciate someone with a bit of dignity and decorum, who can dress to flatter her figure and end up looking fantastic, not like she spends her days stood on a street corner :?

I'm going to take the complete opposite stand point and say you can be empowered and wear revealing clothing. You can as a woman have te control, be empowered, feel sexy about your self and feel good, and be wearing skimpy clothing.

Clothing is no reason to down grade someone and treat them wrongly. Yet it happens all the time in our society, and not just when a women is in skimpy outfits.

Now, the way the op came off in the post, pretty muc made me want to punch someone. So what if a girl likes wearing a tank top and a shjorter skirt. Neither of these are slutty or degrading. I've seen some very cute outfits, that are not revealing in both.

Now with schools, regardless of what you want to say, it is a place to be social interactive. That is the place for most of your life where you are social and make friends. Where you spend most of you free time. So while yes there are dress codes at school, just like you have at work, not all clothing of this type should be banned. There is over revealing, but for the most part, from what I've seen when I was in school, it was never that.

And what one wears is no excuse for rape or molestation or harrassment. It is never ok, and never right. Some girls and women wear certain things for the attentions, others do not. But, clothing is never an excuse and it is never ok.

revealing clothes do have a lot to do with the media, cause the media is saying that all the pretty girls are going around half-naked. i also think that they are designed that way cause guys like it and the majority of the female persuation is trying to please any guy she could possibly get her hand on.

but also, since they stopped making descent clothing (or make them harder to find), it's harder to get ahold of. they go by the majority cause it sells more, but the people who make clothing aren't giving the girls a choice in the matter. only the choice of short or ultra short. that's not all the time, but from personal experince i know, the only kind of clothes i can by that are decent are usually in the adult section.

and then it's the girls fault for falling into that trap. they want sexual attention. they want to be acknowledged as women, so they dress like whores. then they get raped and regret it forever. it's a girl's own fault if she falls into that trap, but the media and clothes designers aren't helping by saying "be modest, but by the whore-outfits too!"

Hmmm, I think, it's the girls own choices.
I could care less.
But that's just me?

It's totally magazines and the media.
They make the girls believe that's what you got to look like to get boys.
I don't think they personally if they weren't so brain washed want to show that much.

It's sad but true. I used to think when I was six I was fat for gosh sakes. ):
I had that image in me even so young.
I'm not sure how to explain, but every girl, somehow feels just that way.
And so they try and dress what's "cool".