5 times middle school girls have been sexualized by their schools

Young girls are daily victims of sexist remarks within schools themselves, from their classmates, but also from the administration. Back to 5 textbook cases.

What if we let girls and young women dress as they wish, without looking at them sexualizing and bearing in mind that it is up to boys to respect their dignity, as well as their consent? Unfortunately, the outfits of middle school and high school girls are scrutinized, supervised, and even punished. Too much coverage, not enough … Here are five times where schools have not been up to this social issue.

Read also : Veil, crop top, neckline … “The body of women is a public object”

Crop top and rape culture

“You are dressed like an ass”, “You shouldn’t be surprised to be raped” … These words, coming from a professor, were heard by college girls from the Emmanuel-de-Martonne college in Laval (west of France) in early June 2021, can we read on the website of FranceBleu.fr. The young girls were insulted because they were simply wearing crop tops (T-shirts above the navel). The teacher did not stop at these words, since he asked them to cover themselves or to leave the lesson. Stunned, the incriminated students, but also their classmates shared their anger on social networks via the Instagram account @jeunesse_mouvement.

Erased necklines

Bartram Trail High School in Florida, United States, has simply retouched the photographs of 80 teenage girls in the school album, released on May 23, 2021. Parents and students were outraged by this totally conservative initiative and puritanical, which pushes teenage girls “to be ashamed of their bodies.” Not to mention that the photographs of their male counterparts in tight swimsuits, they have not received the slightest modification, according to the New York Times.

“The hunt for inappropriate outfits”

On March 8, 2021, the Belgian media DH shared an email from a school principal in Wallonia sent to parents concerning a “hunt for inappropriate outfits” for young girls. “Some have low necklines or very short blouses that catch the eye of young male students in the midst of a hormonal maelstrom”, thus explained the text. The school for “take the lead” has thus planned a whole anti-aggression process: first step, prevent these young girls that their outfit “problematic“. Second step, the student will be “conduct” in the principal’s office, and the parents will be summoned to “ensure that the pupil no longer wears this kind of outfit, otherwise it may no longer be accepted at school”. A new example of the sexualization of young girls, which weighs on their shoulders the weight of guilt in the event of aggression by boys.

Shorts, skirts and Bermuda shorts persona non grata

At the André Leroi-Gourhan college in Vermenton, in Yonne, the management added a precision to its internal regulations concerning the clothing of its students, such as France Bleu reported May 25, 2021. Originally, article 7.2.4 of the internal regulations stipulated that “everyone must adopt a correct and decent outfit […] excluding anything that could be akin to provocation “. But now the text says: “No skirt or Bermuda shorts above the knees, we ban shorts, crop tops, and ‘the high neckline'”, with the following precision: “A T-shirt will be loaned to the student for the day, and the family will be notified”. Appalling rules for teachers and students alike.

“What does that tell young boys? That girls’ bodies can be sexualized, and that an outfit can justify sexual assault?“, asked a professor of the establishment.

Shorts that “turn the boys on”

In 2018, aufeminin told the story of an 11-year-old college girl who had been forced to change and wear jeans because her shorts “turn on the boys”. “My daughter just came home from college in disgusting, stinky jeans because the CPE forced her to change, because she was wearing shorts and it turns the boys on. I am in a rage! When are we going to educate boys and stop bullying girls? ”, had tweeted at the time the mother of the teenager, logically angry.

To end on a positive note, the girls do not give up and some boys support their peers who are victims of sexism at school. Example in Quebec: in October 2020, college students came to class dressed in skirts. Photos that have toured the world and inspired other similar initiatives around the world. Beware, patriarchy, the young are after you!

Last minute: This tweet from a mom, dated June 14, 2021, shows that sexualization begins much earlier than college or high school. Appalling.

Celine Peschard

Journalist who loves the versatility that his profession can offer. Specialized in the historical field, social subjects and auteur films, against a background of electronic music. University curriculum based on …