What do the lifeguards symbolize within the poem entitled "chum"?

The lifeguards in the poem entitled "chum" represent the way in which a patriarchal society is structured in a way that condones and at the same time obscures sexual violence and sexual harassment. As the eight and nine-year-old girls are having their bodies grabbed and manhandled by gleeful and furious older boys, the lifeguard remains with his body turned away from the scene.