National Karate Child Protection and Abuse Prevention Policy
Consistent Training
National Karate will conduct safe and consistent abuse-awareness and prevention training for all staff and adult volunteers.
Background Checks
National Karate requires criminal background checks of all employees and volunteers older than 16 years of age.
Two-Adult-Deep Policies
Two-Adult-Deep Policy for Minors
It is the policy of the National Karate Schools to prohibit any staff, volunteer or adult student be alone with a minor student while in the National Karate Schools. There must always be a second adult near the instructors and students. The second adult must be “in an observable and interruptible distance from another adult.”
It is also prohibited for a staff person or volunteer to be alone with any minor student while driving to events, participating in Demos, Birthday Parties, Kids Night Parties, Private Lessons, Camps or any other capacity as an instructor, National Karate staff person, or assistant instructor.
Two-Adult-Deep Policies for Adults
It is the policy of the National Karate Schools to prohibit any staff, volunteer or adult student be alone with a member of the opposite sex while in the National Karate Schools. The second adult must be must be “in an observable and interruptible distance from another adult.”
Private Lessons
One-on-one private lessons must be monitored by a second adult. (Such as the students parent or another adult staff person. An employee who is a minor or an instructors spouse does NOT count as the second adult.)
Small classes
Parents are always encouraged to stay for the entirety of all karate classes, however, if a class happens to be small, with one or two students, the parents are required to stay for the entirety of the class. If the parent is not able to stay, the class will be canceled, and the child must leave the school with the parent.
Kids Parties
All Kids Night and other Parties must have a Parent Volunteer to supervise in addition to regular staff.
Karate Camps
Because parents typically do not come to watch karate camps, there must be a minimum of two adults supervising all karate camps. Two adult staff members over the age of 18 or a parent volunteer would be acceptable as well. If there is an outdoor activity, it is not permissible for one adult to take a child to the bathroom. Bathroom breaks must be done as a group and must have two adults in an observable and interruptible distance. Adults are never to go into a bathroom with a student.
Corporal Punishment Policy
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behavior deemed unacceptable. The term usually refers to methodically striking the offender with an implement, whether in judicial, domestic, or educational settings.
It is understood that any form of corporal punishment is prohibited in the National Karate Schools and is never allowed by any staff person or volunteer.
Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Contact with Students
Because of the physical nature of teaching the martial arts, there are certain instances that it will be necessary to have appropriate physical contact with a student. For example, fixing a student’s foot or fist with the goal of correcting a martial arts move would be appropriate. Giving encouragement with a “high-5” or a pat on the back would be acceptable physical contact as well. Otherwise, physical contact with a student should be avoided when possible.
Mandatory Reporter
All Adult Employees, Competition Team Coaches and adults who work with children should know that the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 requires them to be “mandatory reporters” of suspected child sexual abuse and must notify the National Karate Directors Cristian Nelson or John Mazzola and Child Protective Services at (847) 888-7620.
Dustin Kook (630) 289-7777 or dk@nationalkarate.com
John Mazzola (630)-585-1700 or nationalkarateaurora@gmail.com
Cristian Nelson (847)-741-6565) or nationalkaratekickboxing@gmail.com.
“See Something, Say Something” Policy
All adult volunteers and adult students who work with minors should know that they are required to report any suspected child abuse to a mandatory reporter such as the school Director and/or the National Karate staff managers, Dustin Kook (Regional Manager), John Mazzola (Chief of Staff), or Cris Nelson (Executive Director)
Dustin Kook (630) 289-7777 or dk@nationalkarate.com
John Mazzola (630)-585-1700 or nationalkarateaurora@gmail.com
Cristian Nelson (847)-741-6565) or nationalkaratekickboxing@gmail.com.
Retaliation is Prohibited
Retaliation against any person who files a complaint of suspected sexual abuse is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
Take-home / pick up policy
To prevent one-on one situations with a child who was not picked up by parents after class, the parents must stay for the entirety of the class or be back to the school for the last 10 minutes of class so that the student and instructor are not left alone when all the other class participants go home. If a parent is not back in time for the end of class they will be given a warning. If it happens twice, then the student will not be allowed to attend that class without their parent staying to watch the entire class.
