Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

1-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Steven Hecht

Committee Member

Marcelo Castro

Committee Member

Tina Jaeckle

Keywords

all-star cheerleading, cyberbullying, eating disorders, grooming, pedophilia, qualitative research, toxic culture

Abstract

All-star cheerleading emerged in the late 1980s. It has grown exponentially over the last thirty years. Today, over 250,000 individuals participate in competitive cheer. The nature of this sport pushes elite athletes and has organizations worldwide. It incorporates stunting, dance, tumbling, and performance. In recent years, there have been numerous news stories, documentaries, and court cases that indicate that, behind all the glitter and excitement of the sport, there may be many instances of a toxic culture that is allowing the youth who participate in this sport to be susceptible to environments that may be detrimental to them in many ways.

Unfortunately, there is little research to support these news stories, court cases, and documentaries. It leads to questions as to whether these reports are isolated instances of bad behavior or an alarming trend of a culture that is designed to allow predators access to vulnerable targets. This sport is presented as a glamorous, exciting sport, but it can come at a cost to these athletes’ self-esteem and harm their bodies with dangerous expectations. A deep understanding of these issues requires a detailed description of former child athletes lived experiences, perceptions, and interpretations of the sport’s culture. Therefore, a qualitative generic approach was best suited to explore the perspectives of former child athletes who remain active in all-star cheerleading. As in any research, for a successful outcome, the study’s findings should be approached unbiasedly, using the results to help protect athletes in this sport if an identified need is present. This qualitative research was conducted with numerous athletes in different gyms across the United States. This study asked adult athletes to reflect on their experiences in an interview setting.

The findings of this generic qualitative study illuminate several avenues for future inquiry that would deepen scholarly understanding of the all-star cheerleading environment and its impact on athlete well-being. Because the present investigation represents one of a complex and under-researched phenomenon, subsequent studies are needed to expand the understanding opened by this work while addressing its acknowledged limitations. Future investigations should also intentionally recruit athletes from diverse racial, socioeconomic, and geographic backgrounds to explore how intersecting social identities shape the experience of toxicity and belonging within the sport.

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