Professors at Brock University say school dress codes are still an issue for many students .
A pair of Child and Youth Studies professors say the rules disproportionately target girls, non-binary students and students of colour.
Shauna Pomerantz says, "Schools often regulate self-expression into narrow terms, where 'appropriate' really means a white, middle-class and heterosexual comportment - and a lot of kids don't want to do that."
Pomerantz and Rebecca Raby add that when young people challenge dress codes for being sexist or racist that teachers and administrators need to take it seriously.
"Adults sometimes have a tendency to say these dress codes are neutral and that they're for everyone's safety, without actually listening to what happens to girls when they're singled out, when teachers ask them to bend over to determine how short their skirt is or when they're being sent home and missing school," says Raby. "Teachers need to listen. Principals need to listen. And I think parents also need to listen when their kids talk about why they're upset about a rule at school and what they want to do in response."
The professors say that school environments can and should support students as they form and negotiate identities.