ENFORCEMENT OF DRESS CODE: A PANACEA TO CURBING INDECENT DRESSING AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY, AKUNGBA AKOKO, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the enforcement of institutional dress codes as a panacea to curbing indecent dressing among undergraduate students at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. It evaluated the effectiveness of administrative enforcement mechanisms and their secondary impacts on student academic performance and general social behaviour. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The target population comprised all undergraduate students across the institution's primary disciplines. Utilizing a stratified random sampling technique to ensure proportional representation, a sample of 515 undergraduate students was selected from six distinct faculty clusters: Arts and Humanities (n=86), Management and Social Sciences (n=112), Agriculture and Engineering (n = 65), Education (n=90), Science and Technology (n=96), and Information and Media Studies (n = 66). Data collection was executed using a self-constructed questionnaire titled Institutional Dress Code Enforcement and Student Behavioral Assessment Questionnaire (IDCESAQ), which was validated by experts in Social Studies and Tests & Measurement. A test-retest reliability procedure yielded a stability coefficient of 0.76. Hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance using Two-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Chi-Square (X²) tests, and Mean Independent t-tests. The results demonstrated that while male and female undergraduates across disciplines share a statistically uniform baseline perception regarding dress code necessity (P = 0.077), significant differences in policy compliance exist across faculty clusters (P < 0.001). Furthermore, a highly significant relationship was established between strict, continuous policy enforcement and the mitigation of indecent dressing (X² = 134.82, P < 0.001). The study also verified that systematic enforcement significantly enhances the academic environment by reducing classroom visual distractions (X² = 3.12) and improves social behavior by significantly lowering peer-to-peer sexual harassment claims (X² = 2.88). The study concluded that institutional boundaries are vital for sustaining academic focus and moral decorum. It recommends that university management implement consistent, campus-wide enforcement across all departments.