Cheerleading Should Be Allowed In Schools

Many have started to gain the thought that cheerleading is an inappropriate activity for children and teenagers to participate in. Parents are worried that schools are beginning to be a little too lenient with letting their children dress in “skimpy” uniforms and performing inappropriate routines. There is no evidence proving that cheerleading is making people’s children participate in sexual activities but many people think otherwise.

Schools need to stop young students from performing provocative routines and wearing “skimpy” uniforms. When children are imbued with adult sexuality, it is often imposed upon them rather than chosen by them.” Popping your toddler into adult-styled clothing or teaching a six-year-old to shake
her booty may be amusing, but it is also an imposition of adult sexuality.Doing research on the lives of young girls and the ways in which the media impacts them makes me hyper-aware of how these incidents demonstrate the increasing pressure on younger and younger girls to become too sexual too soon.(Lauren) Parents are noticing that their children are being encouraged to engage in becoming more sexual through cheer. With the outfits displaying their belly buttons and the routines causing them to dance in a way, parents are starting to feel uncomfortable with them cheering. Parents are deciding to take their children out of this activity so they will not involve themselves in sexual activities.

Provocative routines can increase sexual activity, STD’s, and High School dropouts.
Increased sexual activity among youth, they warn, will lead to unwanted pregnancies, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and larger numbers of school dropouts. By sanctioning suggestive cheerleading routines, school districts are effectively encouraging youth delinquency, proponents of a crackdown insist. In order to make cheerleading respectable once again, they assert, school officials should monitor cheerleaders' performances at games and require offending cheerleading teams to eliminate risqué dance moves. Cheerleaders are feeling more adult-like with their routines and outfits and more confident to talk to boys. Boys on cheer teams are feeling more comfortable with touching the cheerleaders and looking at their outfits. These things can lead to them involving themselves in more sexual
activity.

There are no statistics proving that provocative cheerleading contributes to increased rates of unwanted pregnancies, STD’s, or dropouts. Some critics point out that there are no statistics that show a connection between provocative dancing and increased rates of pregnancy, STDs or school dropouts. As a result, those opponents argue that lawmakers should be spending their time on issues that are more important to the public than regulating dance moves. "Have we done anything about stem cell research to help people who are dying and are sick advance their health? No. Have we done anything about the mentally ill, school finance or ethics?" asks Texas Rep. Senfronia Thompson , who opposed the Edwards bill. Others argue that there have been no proven studies that cheerleading is affecting their students. No one has taken the time to try to prove the opinion right because cheerleading is not provocative at all. It is a form of art and expression.

Cheerleaders should be able to express themselves freely and wear the uniforms that make them comfortable.
They are not performing inappropriately or in any way to cause more sexual activity. Cheerleaders are there to cheer on the growth and to present a positive image to the audience. There is no evidence proving that cheerleading increases STDs, teen pregnancies, etc so schools should not crack down on the programs. Young audience and dancers may be encouraged to engage in risky sexual activity as a result of witnessing the suggestive cheers.when children are imbued with adult sexuality, it is often imposed upon them rather than chosen by them.” Popping your toddler into adult-styled clothing or teaching a six-year-old to shake her booty may be amusing, but it is also an imposition of adult sexuality.Doing research on the lives of young girls and the ways in which the media impacts them makes me hyper-aware of how these incidents demonstrate the increasing pressure on younger and younger girls to become too sexual too soon.(USA Today) Parents are noticing that their children are being encouraged to engage in becoming more sexual through cheer. With the outfits displaying their belly buttons and the routines causing them to dance in a way, parents are starting to feel uncomfortable with them cheering. Obviously the coach, who said the cheer had been around “for 20 years,” felt differently.(USA Today) Coaches are not seeing a problem with the cheerleaders doing what
they are doing. They feel as if cheer has been around for years and there has never been a problem or proven studies with cheerleaders involving themselves in sexual activity.

Provocative routines can increase sexual activity, STD’s, and High School dropouts. Increased sexual activity among youth, they warn, will lead to unwanted pregnancies, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and larger numbers of school dropouts. By sanctioning suggestive cheerleading routines, school districts are effectively encouraging youth delinquency, proponents of a crackdown insist. In order to make cheerleading respectable once again, they assert, school officials should monitor cheerleaders' performances at games and require offending cheerleading teams to eliminate risqué dance moves.(Infobase)Cheerleaders are feeling more adult-like with their routines and outfits and more confident to talk to boys. Boys on cheer teams are feeling more comfortable with touching the cheerleaders and looking at their outfits. These things can lead to them involving themselves in more sexual activity. Finally, some critics point out that there are no statistics that show a connection between provocative dancing and increased rates of pregnancy, STDs or school dropouts. As a result, those opponents argue that lawmakers should be spending their time on issues that are more important to the public than regulating dance moves. (Share) Others argue that there have been no proven studies that cheerleading is affecting their students. No one has taken the time to try to prove the opinion right because cheerleading is not provocative at all. It is a form of art and expression.

Uniforms shouldn’t have an affect on sexuality in cheerleaders. The uniforms shouldn’t be looked at as “inappropriate” because they are comfortable for the girls and the coaches don’t see anything wrong with it. Sexuality entered the cheerleading domain with the 1972 debut of the transformed Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, dressed in hot pants, white boots and cleavage-revealing tops. The Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders changed the image of cheerleading when they entered the industry in, to some people, “skimpy” outfits. The cheerleaders soon became a sex symbol to most people when they started doing magazines,books, etc. In parents eyes, this is who their students are looking up to. In the past 20 years schools never had a problem with cheerleading being provocative. Parents are okay to be concerned but their children are having fun and if not a lot of people see a problem then the parents are possibly being over dramatic. “I don’t personally see anything wrong with prohibiting that. I don’t think that schools should be proactively advocating such activities.”
— Tim Robbins, teaching assistant, Lawrence Some people don’t see a problem with the routines cheerleaders are performing in our time. Schools are not that concerned about the cheer routines because they are not affecting anyone physically

Cheerleaders should be able to express themselves the way that they want in an appropriate way. The outfits are not near inappropriate and the cheerleaders are there to pump up the crowd. They shouldn’t have to eliminate their routines because of people's opinions. They are cheering for their team and if the school doesn't see anything wrong with it than neither should the audience. Cheerleaders are performing art, and everyone should enjoy it.

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