Bully pulpit: water safety is hard enough, but how do you handle bullies creating mayhem at your pool?(Risk Management)

Bullies.

Every facility has them at one time or another, but not every facility manager knows how to effectively deal with them, or even spot them.

"Bullying is something that has gone on for years," says Ron Rhinehart, a vice president at Jeff Ellis and Associates in Kingwood, Texas. "I'd define it as when the actions of any individual or group impose negatively on someone else's recreation or fun. In broad terms, it could be something as simple as cutting in line or taking someone's inner tube. To the extreme, it might be a case of 'whirl-pooling,' where a gang encircles a kid or two and begins moving around them like a whirlpool in order to intimidate them."

In an industry where the safety of guests is paramount, the water is clearly the most obvious threat when it comes to bullies. Facilities are likely to draw them more than ever before. "Today, you have aquatic centers with more attractions, so you are finding a different clientele than before," says Lili McGovern, former manager of aquatic services at the National Recreation and Park Association and current director of Starfish Aquatics, based in Savannah, Ga.

"When all you had was a rectangular pool, only kids with a strong interest in swimming were there," McGovern says. "A kid who was too tough to hang out at an old-style pool and jump around in the water may today be going to the waterpark because it's cool, and that's when the trouble starts."

Another issue is a change in society itself regarding authority. "When we were kids, the lifeguard ruled the pool," McGovern recalls. "Now that's changed. It's a reflection of trends, with a lack of respect for authority in general."

So what is a facility to do about these young toughs?