Why Uniforms Fit Kids' Brains

Selling to Kids, Sept 15, 1999

Schools that have adopted student uniforms say they work. Long Beach Unified School District has made changes that include the uniform requirement in 57 elementary schools and 15 middle schools since 1994. It started phasing them in to high school three years ago with the freshman class, and is already seeing half the number of suspensions, and double-digit increases on SATs. Overall, the district reports 86% fewer school crimes, including possession of illegal substances, and a steady improvement in attendance the lowest rate of absences since 1980, says Richard Van Der Laan, information officer.

What is it about kids' minds that gives uniforms the power to modify their behavior? S2K talked with Dan Acuff, president of YMS Consulting and a co-founder of The Character Lab, a development and consulting firm.

S2K: Do you think school uniforms a good idea?

Acuff: Yes, I do. Let's talk about peers. Before the age of 6, developmental focus of the brain is on the right brain. The left brain kicks in around 6, 6-1/2, 7. Right brain continues to develop, but now the left brain's on the front burner, so to speak. On the social front, kids are going to school, at the age of 5, 6, 7. So they're starting to have contact with peers in a potentially unfriendly environment. Before, they were in the sanctity of their own home and neighbors and family friends. Now they're with strangers and new classmates, so their vulnerabilities and the potential for threat rise. We're talking about violence and aggression, and that always has its roots in fear and threat, potential or real.

After the age of reason, and the exposure to other kids and to potential ridicule or praise or any judgment about what you look like, and what your clothes look like, that's when the potential threat starts. So if you have uniforms in elementary school, that removes one more possible obstacle. But in grades K-3, uniforms are not going to be a big issue, relative to later years. They will form into friendship groups but it isn't cliquish. There can be the occasional cruel kid but it's not so much centered around what you wear unless you stand out and wear rags, something like that.

Getting into grade 4, I'm now 9, I have my left-brain going and I'm more conscious of peer approval. Kids at this age are really trying to answer questions of acceptance and success critical questions of acceptance and success relative to their self image. They're forming their life in this preteen stage of 8, 9 to 12, probably more dramatically than any other stage. They may be deciding I'm not very athletic, or they're deciding the way to succeed is to be athletic or they're deciding that they're musical and that's how they're going to succeed. And the poor kid who doesn't have an outlet for success suffers from very low self esteem, typically.

So how school uniforms fit into that stage is they take one more barrier away from success. If I don't have the best clothes, no big deal, we all wear the same. And then let's go all the way to grade 8 when, to me, uniforms make a lot of sense. To me, the psychological well-being of the child would go in front of all those arguments pro and con about freedom and democracy and diversity. It doesn't take a child's freedom away. I think you'll find that uniforms work for kids, parents, schools and society in general and diminish conflict.

S2K: Through 8th grade, are kids likely to be happy with a dress code?

Acuff: If they grow up with it, yes. If it's imposed on them, they're used to not having a dress code and uniforms, they're certainly going to resist. Introduce it at the first grade and carry it through. Smart plan. Everyone can get on board a year at a time.

S2K: How will kids growing up with school uniforms affect their buying habits over time?

Acuff: It's a question of categories: In the case of food and beverages, it won't do a thing, and that's their major purchase out of their own pocket and probably major influence also food, beverages and choice of restaurant. Second major purchase is playthings. They're still going to entertain themselves the same way and go to the same movies and buy the same sports and videogame equipment. The third purchase is apparel and that's what [school uniforms] will influence. Like, if the whole nation suddenly were uniformed, it would have a major impact on the apparel industry, through high school. However, kids would still buy their clothes for leisure time and outside of school activities but it would put a big dent in [the industry]. And you'd still have backpacks, you'd still have all the other accessories that would not be impacted, you'd still have tennis shoes.

Find out about uniforms in high school in the next issue of Selling to Kids.

(Dan Acuff can be reached at 818/783-5551. You can consult with Dan Acuff Nov. 15 when he'll be a faculty member at Selling to Kids University in Washington, DC. For conference registration info, contact Susan Cuevas at 301/340-7788, ext. 2092).