In an era of the rising concern over public school violence, the controversy over the importance of mandatory uniform policy has been brought up as a debatable issue. Because of the controversial nature of this matter, those educators who advocate the uniform policy and those who condemn it are speaking out. One of the reasons that this issue was brought up is the degradation of school environment. Once considered sanctuaries of innocence and learning, American schools today are often perceived as dangerous places. The public recently has been busy by images of children shooting classmates and teachers, leading to fears that violence is becoming a horrifying "trend" in schools across the nation. Today, the main problems that cause school violence are gangs, firearms, and weapons. To reduce school crimes and enhance academic environment, some parents and school administrators, who believe that the uniforms will reduce gang activities, suggested enforcing the mandatory uniform p!

olicy. However, their beliefs are misguided because the uniforms have

o gang membership, including activities that build self-esteem and help students deal with feelings of powerlessness by providing additional curriculums such as classes or workshops on self-esteem, leadership and peer counseling. Strategies should include providing special assistance to students who are at risk of gang membership, creating an atmosphere that encourage a sense of belonging in all students, informing parents and school staff about gangs and teaching students

In addition, due to the national attention given to school uniforms, parents and guardians became more aware of the need to participate in their children¯s lives. Students also knew the higher expectations placed on them. And the fact that the policy has only been in effect since 1994 suggests that crime was already on the way down before it was introduced (19).

how to avoid being drawn into them, and giving students regular opportunities to discuss school experiences and to plan for future successes and rewards. Unlike

about the population of 10th-grade students in the United States, and the effects of uniforms on them. After researching and comparing students who wore uniforms to the students who did not, he simply quoted in his conclusion, °Our

The leading cause of school violence in public schools today is gang violence. Surprisingly, 30.6 percent of students in 1995 reported that street gangs were present in their schools compared to 16.4 percent in 1989 (Chandler, Chapman, Rand & Taylor 9). Organized youth gangs are not limited to large, inner-city areas as is commonly believed, and membership crosses all racial and ethnic boundaries. According to a survey conducted by the National Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education, 13.8 percent of American high school students joined a gang during the 1993-1994 school year (Manning). With these younger gang members attending school, schools themselves have become prime recruiting grounds. The increasing numbers of gang members raise the possibility of strife among them and therefore intensify the school crimes.

be a more practical solution versus mandating school uniforms in very school in the country.

School uniforms for public education is also a faulty idea because it violates the constitutional rights of both students and parents. In Journal of educational research, Brunsma wrote that, °The legal concerns focus on the

In 1994, Long Beach, California, drew national attention as the first public-school district to adopt mandatory school uniforms. According to NAPPS Bulletin, overall school crime through out the (Long Beach Unified) district decreased 36 percent and student suspensions also decreased 32 percent (83). In addition to that, Education Digest also explained that in one year, in the Long Beach (California) Unified Schools: fighting dropped 51 percent; weapons possession dropped 50 percent; assault and battery dropped 34 percent; and vandalism

programs. This will help in fighting against °gangs,± which is one of the main causes of school violence. Uniform policy is not a well thought solution to school violence because the uniforms only deal with the °looks± of gang members but has no impact on changing their violent minds. There are many reasons why young people join gangs, but one of the main reasons is because of low self-esteem. °Youth who don't feel good about themselves are more vulnerable to joining a gang. They will seek out ways to feel accepted, and if healthy options aren't available, they may look to gangs for support± (http://www.elca.org/dcm/youth/resource/helpsheets/gangs.html). Many young people grow up today without anyone in their lives to provide positive feedback or believe in them. Without this faith and encouragement, young people will often suffer from low self-esteem and a sense of hopelessness. Thus, school districts and communities should work together to offer students alternatives t!

having more efficient juvenile courts with consistent penalt

Some common words found in the essay are:
NASSP Bulletin, Resource Officers, , Unified Schools, Drug Education, Justice Delinquency, NELS88 NELS88, Peter Caruso, Daniel Gursky, Julia Wilkins, uniform policy, school violence, school uniforms, mandatory uniform, mandatory uniform policy, school crimes, law enforcement, mandatory school, mass gun, uniform advocates, mandatory uniforms, mass gun sales, students carried gun, bringing school violence, unlike mandatory uniform,
Approximate Word count = 2872
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)