Demoralised 12 year old Boy Scout - Leader mean to older boys and favouring the girls always

[mrsjavierbardem]

My ds is a longterm scout but as he's got older his scout leader has got meaner and meaner to the eldest boys to the extent that they appear to be unable to please him.
He appears to favour the girls to an almost comic extent so that if one drops something he'll blame one of the older boys. If a girl mucks about she gets gentle remonstrance. If a boy does he gets sent out , sometimes for something he hasn't done.
In games the leader often exaggeratedly lets a girl win.
My ds thinks the leader 'hates' him but says the it was the same when he was a younger scout, the adolescent ones just get hell.
Of course if they muck about they have to be pulled up but there shouldn't be such a difference in treatment, they should be treated all the same. This is an example, to me, of it being no advantage to the boys of having girls in scouts.
I have seen this dynamic in action, ds is not inventing it. I am not suggesting anything untoward in the Leader's motivation, it's like the boys irritate him and the girls don't.
I would have no idea how to approach this leader without immediately setting up his hackles and making him defensive. But it is sad to see my son starting to not want to go. Scouts should make the kids feel equal and welcome imo.

[xmb53]

Speak with the group scout leader and ask him/her to observe. It maybe that the programme that the leader is running is the cause, which brings out different behavioural responses between boys and girls.