And also, find what causes gang and gun violence in school(with some quotations with bibliography:web address) and added in some where in my essay.

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!

7. Feaster, Dan. °Say No To Gangs.± Online. Internet. Availiable http://www.elca.org/dcm/youth/resource/helpsheets/gangs.html

colors or with signs on the clothing. However, when students are in uniform, no one will be able to wears gang colors or gang attire, therefore gang related activities will be kept off campus. Therefore they believe that uniform code prevents gang members from wearing colors and insignia that could cause trouble. There exists however many flaws with this line of thinking, but first there is one more reason why the uniform advocates demand mandatory uniform policy.

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!

the mandatory uniform policy that tries to change the gangs physically, these additional curriculums will change them mentally.

Uniform policy further brings negative effects such as economic difficulties. Caruso illustrates in his article °Individuality vs. Conformity± from NASSP Bulletin that, ° school uniforms cause an economic hardship for students and parents who cannot afford them±(87). Mandatory school uniform policies create undesirable economic issues. For example, families near or below the poverty line cannot afford to buy both uniforms and clothes. This limits those parents to only buying uniforms thereby eliminating their ability and right to purchase clothing for their children as they see fit. If these parents can only afford uniforms, they will be forced to purchase replacements when the uniforms become damaged as a result of normal wear and tear or else their children will be in violation of the dress code.

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

mentality nor reduce the potential of anti-social, gang-related behavior on or off campus± (115). Gang colors are not the reason that gangs are dangerous; colors simply distinguish who is part of what group. Some people might say that gangs

constitutional guarantees of liberty by forcing parents to spend their money on clothes that they many do not wish to purchase, and by dictating to parents how they should dress their children.

causes additional problems besides school crimes, schools and the communities need to provide wiser procedures such as providing alternatives to gangs, restricting mass gun sales, and creating a visible law enforcement presence in the schools. These methods, unlike mandatory uniform policy, will not only prevent but also help in bringing an end to school violence.

2. Buckley, William F. Jr. °School Uniforms?± National Review 26 Feb 1996: 71

simply find alternative ways to show unity and discrimination amongst themselves. Uniforms complexes the problems of America's poor, hurt children's

12. Zirkel, Perry A. °A Uniform Policy.± Phi Delta Kappan Mar 1998: 550-51

failure to find a direct effect of uniforms on behavioral outcomes or academic achievement indicates a need for a closer examination of the uniforms debate± (Rockquemore 55). Throughout his research, he found almost no difference in improvement

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, mandatory uniforms, nassp bulletin, education digest, students carried gun, mass gun sales, providing additional curriculums, survey conducted national,
Approximate Word count = 3078
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)