Supervision of changing for swimming - what is expected?

[felineprincess]

DS (11) has weekly swimming at school. The teachers don't supervise the changing room, and my DS has told me about a lot of inappropriate behaviour, mostly from one or two individuals, some of which is making him and other boys feel uncomfortable e.g. swinging their penises around, making comments about other boys' penises and, most recently, thrusting their genitals against the wall of the girls' changing rooms while naked. Having sat on this for a while, deciding if it was just normal banter or going too far, I'm now planning to speak to the teacher.

I'm hoping that my second-hand account of what's going on will be enough simply to raise the level of supervision going forward, and that will be the end of the matter. Is that a reasonable expectation?

My natural worry is that, instead, they will haul in my DS for a first-hand account, punish the boys in question, give everyone else a talking to, and that DS will be found out as the source of the information and ostracised.

Any teachers out there who can tell me what they think will happen?

I would very much hope it would just be a general reminder to all boys to behave themselves, without going into specifics or hauling only your DS out for a chat. Perhaps you can put in your email or during talking to the teacher that you are worried that if your son is seen as the source he will be ostracised?

Having said that, the behaviour you report has happened at the school I'm in with the boys changing room, so whilst unacceptable, isn't that unusual.

Do they actually have any male staff or volunteers who can supervise in the changing rooms?

Teachers can't supervise swimming changing - imagine the outcry of the misconceptions coming from that.

Do tell the teacher what your son is saying. They can do a general talk about behaviour. Greater pressure to get ready quickly usually reduces behaviour problems too.

Teachers can indeed supervise swimming changing, and do at my school, especially given the fact that the pool is open to the public during school swimming sessions. I kid you not.

Of course teachers can supervise swimming pool changing rooms. I take my class swimming and don't go in individual cubicles but am still in the changing rooms to stop any silliness.