would you like to read a story about yourself and your mom being killed or you being raped? because that's what some of these stories are. they're about normal kids who happen to cheer just like you. that's not "no harm meant" to me. that's like some sick and twisted little individuals writing these stories. and all it takes is one crazy to see someone one of these stories is about and act on what they've read. it may sound far fetched but some people actually are just crazy.
if i were the mother of any of these kids i would pursue legal action.
Agreed. I would have an issue with it, even if the stories were about a girl walking in the park and then returning home to a safe dinner. Using someone else's pictures for something non-cheer related, malicious or not, is really concerning behavior. These kids aren't celebrities. In the American legal system, it's illegal to use someone of age's photos without their consent, unless they're a person of national interest. (There's some formal term for it-- any law students here?) With that said, using photos of minors makes it ten times worse.
HOWEVER, I have little to no sympathy for the athletes who are "bothered" by this. It's an option to privatize every social media network. By inviting thousands of people to view their pages, they're welcoming anyone. Unfortunately, cheerleading is still very "sexualized" by modern society, and although we're used to seeing each other half-dressed at practice, the rest of the country sees a half naked girl posting pictures of herself and her friends. I don't have a problem with the occasional sports bra pic or two-- it's the same as someone posting a vacation photo-- but doing this repetitively may be perceived differently by viewers of a page.
Athletes: be smart about what you're doing. Make sure you know the audience of your pages.
Parents: get involved, and know what your kids are doing on social media. You can't control their lives, but you do have the right to know who is "following" them on these sites, and whether or not you want those pictures of your child seen by them.
(Unrelated sidenote: The Gardner parents are awesome at using their daughter's "cheerlebrity" status in a positive manner. The pictures of their kids are always really appropriate, and Maddie's popularity is used by them to promote the sport. Whenever I see a picture of her floating around, she's usually always in a stunt, or just hanging out like a normal girl. Never anything left to be interpreted "sexually". Thank you for presenting our sport with such a wholesome, All-American image!)