Students are taking the phrase “dirty dancing” a little too literally at one northwest suburban high school, where school officials are now enforcing a new wristband rule to curb sexually-suggestive dancing.

Starting with the Girls’ Choice dance this weekend at Maine West in Des Plaines, all dance-goers must wear a wristband during the event. If teens are caught dancing in a way that simulates a sexual act, from grinding to bending over, the wristband is removed. If they do it again, they’ll be sent home and could face other disciplinary action.

School officials say they’re just addressing a situation that has developed over time and has made some students and faculty uncomfortable.

“We’re certainly not the only school in the country dealing with this issue. It seems to be becoming more mainstream and more the norm…and it certainly is not,” Assistant Principal Dave Berendt said of inappropriate dancing. “If we continue to turn a blind eye to it, we’re just condoning the behavior.”

The Des Plaines school is not unique — high schools in Mundelein and Geneva also have put a stop to inappropriate dancing with wristbands. Last year, Geneva High School banned “grinding” at its dances after students, parent and faculty complaints, said Principal Tom Rogers.

“Our main purpose was simply to clean up our dances and make them more appropriate,” he said. “We had received a lot of feedback from our students, as well as parents and our faculty members chaperoning (dances). The sentiment was, we need to make a change.”

So far, no student has been asked to leave a dance under a similar wristband policy, Rogers said. Though many students immediately boycotted the dances, attendance levels are back to normal, he added.

Berendt said tickets went on sale Tuesday, so it’s too soon to tell what kind of effect the guideline will have at Maine West.

On a recent afternoon, Maine West students expressed a variety of opinions on the new rule, with many calling it “absurd” or “dumb”. Dancing sexually has become a part of today’s culture and is common among a younger generation, some argued.

Student Maria Mavraganis, 17, said she isn’t attending the dance solely because of the wristband procedure. She said dancing today requires more physical contact.

“I’m not going to pay $20 for a ticket to get kicked out in 20 minutes,” the high school senior said.

Sophomores Samantha Arriozola, 16, and Kelly Mimp, 15, said they felt uncomfortable at last year’s homecoming dance when they saw so many students dancing inappropriately. Though they both agreed dancing has become more extreme these days, neither felt the wristbands would alter student behavior.

“Unless they have 20 people guarding every square inch of the dance floor, nothing’s going to change,” Arriozola said.

Reporter Kate Thayer contributed to this report.