School Uniforms

[knowgangs]

What's your opinion on the effectiveness of school uniforms for reducing gang violence. In most neighborhoods/schools all the students usually know who the gang members are already.

There have been reports that school uniforms help with the social/emotional development of students as it makes all students look the same so there is no outward appearance of difference social/economical classes (poor vs. rich).

How do school uniforms reduce gang violence? What's your opinion?

[ThinBlueLine1415]

IMO it reduces violence in a few ways. One, it reduces the "mistaken identity" assaults. So you don't have the new kid catching a beat down for putting reds shoelaces in his shoes to match his Bulls jersey. The Crips get him because they think he's a Blood. The Bloods get him because they think he's claiming their set or "false flaggin/hood hoppin" or whatever.

Uniforms also eliminate the possibility of disrespectful clothing worn by gang members. Crips wearing T-shirts that have bloodsets crossed out on them. Or worse, the names of bangers they have killed from the other side crossed out on a t-shirt, hat etc. It also gives the bangers one less thing to fight over. Here, one of the popular initiation rites was to have a prospect snatch beads/flags/hats/shoelaces from rival bangers. They would have to do it while the "victim" banger was with his crew and the rule was after snatching said garment, they couldn't run. They had to fight. Our high schools haven't gone to uniforms but they have finally banned colored shoelaces, beads and flags. It took a brawl between VL members and MS-13 members over a snatched Salvadoran flag to change the policy. The school also had another incident over a RIP t-shirt where a blood threw fruit punch on a rivals shirt in disrespect to a fallen banger. So as of this past year, no more RIP t-shirts either.

The bangers still know who each other are but when everyone looks the same, they tend to not pay attention to each other in school so much. Someone flying their colors in your face though, is a constant reminder of your enemy and what wasn't a big deal at 8 AM is the cause of a huge fight at 2PM. And as I've tried to explain to many an administrator, just banning "gang attire" is not going to solve anything. These kids make up new attire everyday. You can't gangerstize slack and a polo shirt and brown shoes. No colored laces/belts. No rolled up pants legs left or right side. No jewlery or watches. Brown socks. That is the way to go.

[Steven L. Sachs]

I'm for the uniforms. From purely a socio-economic viewpoint, a student from a lower income family would not feel the pinch to keep up with current fashion statements, etc. of other students. Not alot of "wiggle-room" for gang colors, etc. In the Chicagoland area, schools with codes, usually have boys and girls wear white shirts / blouses with dark blue pants / skirts. Brown or black shoes, black belts.

Now having said that....Schools, who are for students wearing their own clothes, MUST utilize their own standard dress code, banning items such as RIP tee shirts, gang jewelry, etc.

When uniforms are used-----it certainly takes the pressure off teachers, school administration and other school personel who must daily watch, and be constantly vigilent of who's wearing what and so forth. They also must be updated and informed of changing gang clothing styles, tats, jewelry, symbols, etc. on a regular basis---to be successful. Street gangs are constantly in the state of fluidity.

Personally.....teachers have better things to do than to worry about what a student is wearing at any given moment. Like them, or not, school uniforms, in my opinion, help promote a better school environment. A cure-all? No. A start? Yes...

Stay Safe ...............Steve

[mhunter5]

I'm all for the school uniforms, that being said, I really cant vote on it due the the fact that my family home schools.