Epidemiological data indicate that children comprise a highrisk
group for drowning (World Health Organization, 2003). Having
children learn to swim may be an effective strategy to reduce risk
(Brenner et al., 2009). Although participating in swim lessons can
positively impact children’s swimming ability, how participation
impacts parents’ beliefs relevant to children’s drowning risk and the
need for supervision has not previously been considered and was
examined herein. The current findings reveal a number of changes
that occur over the course of 10 swim lessons, and highlight how
a parent’s own experience of a close call for drowning might positively
impact his/her perceptions of children’s drowning risk and
supervision needs. Including a parent-focused component as part
of children’s learn-to-swim program was associated with both positive
and worrisome effects, which suggests that changes to this
component are warranted, as discussed below.