Savanna Dakhil Persuasive speech outline General purpose: To produce Specific purpose: To persuade my audience that uniforms should be mandatory in schools. Central ideal: Making uniforms mandatory in schools can increase safety and help stop bullying. Attention I. On November 1st 1991, a band of intruders opened fire in a crowded Brooklyn vocational school hallway, badly wounding a 19-year-old special education student. In a second-floor hallway, crowded with students changing classes, a dispute of some sort began, and angry words and taunts were exchanged. One intruder pulled out a pistol and fired two shots. A bullet hit Mr. Dickerson, who the police said was apparently an innocent bystander, in the back, then the gang fled. The wounded student, Willie Dickerson, underwent three and a half hours of surgery at Bellevue Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. The youth's mother, Annabelle Dickerson, said as doctors worked on her son, "He got shot at the school for his chain, I assume that's what they tried to kill him for." (News Paper: The New York Times). Persuasive Claim: To convince my audience that uniforms should be mandatory in schools Orienting Material In my presentation, I will convince each of you on why uniforms should be mandatory in schools. I will first talk about why it is necessary and important to you and then move on to the solution and how making uniforms mandatory can stop bullying, and create a safer environment. I will then paint a mental picture of what the future, your children’s future could be like if uniforms mandatory, and what your children’s future could be like if uniforms were not mandatory. Credibility I feel that I am credible in speaking to you about this topic because I have spent hours of extensive research on uniforms in schools and how they are beneficial. More importantly, I feel credible because I have attended schools that required uniforms and schools that have not, and have witnessed first hand how uniforms can help stop bullying and make schools a safer environment. Transition: Now let me talk about the need for this problem. Need II. School uniforms policies have mainly been enforced in private school, but because of decades of research on private schools and the effectiveness that uniforms have had on the successes of students, many public schools have began to adopt the policies for many different reasons. The Journal of Education Research states that, “A safe and disciplined learning environment is the first requirement of a good school. Young people who are safe and secure and who learn basic American values and the essentials of good citizenship are better students. In response to growing levels of violence in the nation’s schools, many parents, teachers, and school officials have come to see school uniforms as one positive and creative way to reduce discipline problems and increase school safety.” (Journal: Education Research) A. Bullying is a widespread problem in our schools and communities. The behavior encompasses physical aggression, threats, teasing, and harassment. a. According to NASP online, bullying is the most common form of violence in our society; between 15% and 30% of students are bullies or victims. A recent report from the American Medical Association on a study of over 15,000 6th-10th graders estimates that approximately 3.7 million youths engage in, and more than 3.2 million are victims of, moderate or serious bullying each year. (Website: nasponline.org) B. Gangs are organized groups often involved in drugs, weapons trafficking, and violence. The National Center for Education Statistics states that gangs at school can be disruptive to the school environment because their presence may incite fear among students and increase the level of school violence. (Website: nces.ed.gov) a. 40% of gang members in the United States are juveniles under the age of 18, and In 2007, 23 percent of students reported that there were gangs at their schools during the school year. (Website:helpinggangyouth.com) Transition: I have a solution to the many problems involving violence in schools. Solution III. PublicSchoolreview.com states that making uniforms mandatory in public schools is continuing to rise in the United States, as parents and school administrators try to keep schools a safe environments. Even though uniforms have only been seen in private schools, public schools began requiring uniforms when the California school district of Long Beach implemented them. According to the Long Beach school district, within one year after making uniforms mandatory, the fights and muggings at their school decreased by 50%, and committed sexual offenses were reduced by 74%. (Website: PublicSchoolreview.com) A. Bullying is steadily increasing in the United States, so many educators and administrators are constantly on the search for ways to decrease and eventually eliminate the problem. One way to deal with bullying in school is to require a school uniform policy. School uniforms are intended to provide a sense of equality among students, getting rid of bullying that may stem from status and apparel. a. According to “The Debatabase Book: a must-have guide for successful debate,” wearing uniforms acts as a social leveler. All students are equal in the eyes of the school and each other. In institutions without uniforms students are often competitive in dress and worry endlessly about their appearance. People without expensive, trendy clothes may become social outcasts. (Book: The Debatabase Book) b. Bullies often look for outsiders to pick on, so implementing school uniforms provides a lesser chance for this to occur. When all students are required to dress the same, bullies are less likely to point out a difference in style or brand. (Website: ehow.com) B. Uniforms in schools reduce the prevalence of violence, which is a major concern for many public schools. Outsiders who do not belong on campus and gang members are easily identified, and therefore do not pose a great threat to students. a. Having the freedom to wear whatever you want in school allows students to use their wardrobe as a way to represent gang affiliation. Wearing a certain color or style could mean association with gang activity, so enforcing a school uniform policy would help stop these situation and prevent violence that comes from opposing affiliations and also help spot intruders. (Website: ehow.com) C. An article in Time Magazine states that after uniforms were made mandatory in the Long Beach California school district, where 66,000 students in 56 elementary schools, 14 middle schools and one high school now wear them there were fewer disruptions, fewer suspensions, and better attendance. The article also states that according to Dick Van Der Laan, the system's spokesman, criminal incidents at the district's schools have decreased 86% since uniforms were mandated in 1994. (Magazine: Time) Transition: Now imagine this. IV. Visualization A. It’s the future and you have a child with your husband or wife and the both of you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money on school shopping at the end of every summer, because the school that your child is enrolled in requires uniforms. In the mornings your child doesn’t have to spend time deciding what to wear every day, and at school they are seen as equal to their peers. Because everyone is dressed in uniforms the school is a safer environment and anyone who doesn’t belong or is seen as a threat is easily spotted and dealt with. B. Now picture this, It’s the future and you and your husband or wife are struggling financially, therefore you are unable to buy your child fashionable clothing and dress him or her in the latest trends. When they go to school they are picked on for what they are wearing making their school experience a negative one. To make matters worse an intruder walks into the school without being recognized causing a violent scene. This incident traumatizes your child and becomes something that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Transition: There is some we can do as a community to make sure that this doesn’t ever happen to your child. Action V. We can start to make all public schools a safer environment by pushing state legislators to make uniforms mandatory and making people aware of how beneficial they can be. Summary I have just shared with you a tragic story of violence in a school, because uniforms were not mandatory allowing violators to easily pass through hallways unrecognized. I talked about the negative affects of not having uniforms and how making them mandatory can benefit students and lower the amount of bullying and violence overall making school a safer place. Conclusion I hope that I have convinced you that uniforms should be required in public schools, and that your child shouldn’t ever have to be bullied or whiteness violence because there is an alternative solution to this problem. Thank you. Bibliography Brunsma, D., & Rockquemore, K. (1998). Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Use, and Academic Achievement. The Journal of Educational Research, 92(1), 53-62. (Journal) Chen, G. (2008, April 23). Public School Uniforms: The Pros and Cons for Your Child . Public School Review. Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.publicschoolreview.com/artic (Website) Cohn, A., & Canter, A. (2003, October 7). Bullying: Facts for Schools and Parents. National Association of School Psychologists . Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/facts Hernandez, A. (n.d.). Gang Statistic. Helping Gang Youth. Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.helpinggangyouth.com/statistics.html Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2010. (n.d.). National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a part of the U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2010/ind_08. asp Kifner, J. (1991, November 2). Student Shot by an Intruder at a Brooklyn School. The New York Times. Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/02/nyregion/student-shot-by-anintruder-at-a-brooklyn-school.html?scp=3&sq=intruder%20in%20school&st (Newspaper) Marchant, V. (1999, September 5). Dress for Success. time. Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/a (Magazine) McCreary, R. (n.d.). Ways to Stop School Bullying Using School Uniforms. eHow. Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://www.ehow.com/way_5751746_waysbullying-using-school-uniforms.html Trapp, R. (2007). CIX. The debatabase book a must-have guide for successful debate (3rd ed., p. 193). New York: International Debate Education Association. (Book)