SOTO – Far Eastern Cultural and Sports Center

Standards for the Protection of Minors

   The fundamental principle of all actions undertaken by Club employees and those collaborating with the Club (volunteers, interns) is to act for the child's well-being and in their best interests. Any form of violence against children is unacceptable. Child Protection Standards apply to all Club employees and those collaborating with the Club and include guidelines for handling any threats to the safety and well-being of children. Child Protection Standards include:

1. Procedures for checking employees before they are allowed to work with minors to ensure they meet the requirements for no criminal record for crimes against sexual freedom and morality.
2. Rules to ensure safe relationships between minors and staff.
3. Rules and procedures for intervening in situations where there is a suspicion of abuse or information about abuse of a minor.
4. Procedure for submitting a notification of a suspected crime against a minor and for notifying the guardianship court.
5. Principles of providing staff, minors and their guardians with standards for their application.
6. Requirements for safe relationships between minors, in particular prohibited behaviors.
7. Procedures for protecting children from harmful content on the Internet and recorded in other forms.
8. Principles for establishing a support plan for a minor following disclosure of abuse.

Chapter I

EXPLANATION OF TERMS

1. The SOTO Club – Far Eastern Cultural and Sports Center is called SOTO Sp. z o.o. with its registered office in Warsaw at ul. Łucka 15/204, NIP: 1132958982.
2. An employee of the Club is a person employed under an employment contract, a contract of mandate or a person serving on the Club's management board who does not receive remuneration (e.g. President, Secretary, Treasurer, Member of the Management Board).
3. People cooperating with the Club are volunteers and interns undergoing instructor training at the Club.
4. A minor is any person under 18 years of age.
5. A minor's guardian is a person authorized to represent him or her, specifically his or her parent or legal guardian. Under this document, a foster parent also serves as a guardian.
6. The consent of a minor's parent constitutes the consent of at least one of the minor's parents. In the event of a disagreement between the child's parents, the parents should be informed of the need for the matter to be resolved by a family and guardianship court.
7. Harming a minor means committing a prohibited act or a punishable act to their detriment by any person, including an employee of the Club, or threatening the well-being of a minor, including neglect.

   Harm is:

• Violence - occurs when one person treats another in a way that is inconsistent with the requirements of the relationship that connects them.
• Physical violence - is the intentional infliction of bodily harm, the infliction of pain, or the threat of bodily harm. Physical violence can result in fractures, bruises, cuts, burns, and internal injuries.
• Emotional abuse - involves repeated humiliation, degradation, and ridicule of a child, drawing the child into adult conflict, manipulating the child, lacking adequate support, attention, and love, and placing demands and expectations on the child that the child is unable to meet. Its goal is to violate personal dignity.
• Sexual abuse - is any behavior that leads to sexual gratification at the expense of a child. Sexual abuse refers to behavior that involves physical contact.

(e.g., touching a child, having sex with a child) and behaviors without physical contact (e.g., showing a child pornographic materials, voyeurism, exhibitionism). This violence may be a one-time incident or repeated over a longer period of time.

• Neglect - is the failure of a parent or legal guardian to meet the basic material and emotional needs of a child, failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, safety, and failure to supervise the fulfillment of compulsory school attendance.

8. The person responsible for the Internet is each instructor who supervises the use of the Internet by children training in the Club on the Dojo premises (exercise area, training hall), summer and winter training camp site, and the safety of children on the Internet.
9. The person responsible for the Standards for the Protection of Minors from Abuse is each instructor supervising the implementation of the policy for the protection of children from abuse at the Club.
10. A child’s personal data is any information that enables the identification of a minor.

Chapter II

RECOGNIZING AND RESPONDING TO SYMPTOMS OF CHILD ABUSE

1. As part of their duties, Club employees pay attention to risk factors and symptoms of child abuse.
2. Any Club employee who notices or suspects that a student is being harmed is obliged to react and, if necessary, provide first aid.
3. All Club employees who, in connection with the performance of their duties, have received information about the abuse of a child training at the Club or other information related thereto, are obliged to maintain confidentiality, excluding information provided to authorized institutions as part of intervention activities.
4. Employees are obliged to ensure the safety of minors in accordance with their competences, applicable law and the school's internal regulations.

Chapter III

PROCEDURES FOR INSPECTION OF EMPLOYEES BEFORE ALLOWING THEM TO WORK WITH MINORS IN RESPECT OF THEIR FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF NOT HAVING A CRIMINAL RECORD FOR OFFENCES AGAINST SEXUAL FREEDOM AND DECENCY.

1. The Club President verifies each person in the Sex Offenders Register before allowing them to work with training children.
2. All employees, interns and volunteers are obliged to comply with the Standards for the Protection of Minors.
3. All the above-mentioned persons submit declarations according to the template in Annexes 1 and 2.

Chapter IV

RULES ENSURING SAFE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MINORS AND STAFF

The Safe Relationships Policy outlines behaviors and practices that are prohibited when working with children. The Safe Relationships Policy is tailored to the Club's operational environment and covers the following areas:

1. Direct contact with minors is based on respect for their privacy and dignity. Examples of such contact include:

They are unacceptable intentional behavior that arouses a sense of threat or bears signs of:

• physical violence (e.g. pushing, hitting, twisting arms, choking, kicking, pulling),
• eroticizing the relationship (verbal flirting, ambiguous jokes, bad touch, provocative looks),
• sexualization of relationships (sexual intercourse and other sexual activities), 

2. Verbal communication with minors should be free of hostile, vulgar, aggressive, or maliciously ironic tones. Communication should not: 

3. Employees are committed to objectivity, fairness, selflessness, and respect in the treatment and assessment of every student, regardless of background, race, religion, or nationality. Equal treatment means that the following is prohibited:

− wyłączne skupianie uwagi na wybranych małoletnich z jednoczesnym ignorowaniem potrzeb innych,

4. Direct and online contact with the child outside the Club should be closely related to the performance of professional, care and educational duties, e.g.: 

5.  Transport, travel and accommodation:

6. Disciplining minors, defined as a "feedback" tool that communicates to minors that their behavior in a given situation is inappropriate, inconsistent with expectations, and/or ineffective, involves setting boundaries, developing a solid value system, adequate self-esteem, and the ability to make good decisions. Any form of discipline aimed at humiliation or degradation based on exploiting advantage is unacceptable:
   • physical (aggression, use of physical punishment, direct coercion, restraint, isolation, preventing the fulfillment of basic physiological needs; deprivation of sleep, food, exposure to cold, heat, etc.; physical work inappropriate to the abilities, engaging in sexual behavior),
   • psychological (domination through shouting, threats, violation of self-esteem, disregard for psychological needs, e.g. safety, belonging, love, simulations that arouse fear and anxiety about one's own life and the life of the family).
7. Parents and legal guardians of minors have the right to all information regarding their child's activities on the Dojo grounds, during camps, trips, and other events organized by the Club. Information about the child is shared only with their parents or legal guardians.

Chapter V

RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR INTERVENTION IN THE EVENT OF SUSPECTED ABUSE OF A MINOR OR IN THE EVENT OF HAVING INFORMATION ABUSE OF A MINOR

1. The scope of duties of individual Club employees in the event of suspicion or information that a minor is being harmed:
2. Club President:

1. Instructor:

2. Procedure to follow if a minor is suspected of being a victim of domestic violence:

− receiving information about suspected child abuse, preparing an official note,

− if the person receiving the report is an instructor, he or she informs the Club President about the fact or events that have occurred,

− the instructor investigates the circumstances of the case, e.g. conducts a conversation with the injured party (where

and when the event(s) occurred, what was their frequency, etc.),

• In the event of a suspicion of committing a crime, the Club President notifies the police or prosecutor's office.
• In the event of neglecting a child, humiliating, degrading or ridiculing a child, involving a child in an adult conflict or manipulating a child, the President of the Club notifies the court or the interdisciplinary team for counteracting domestic violence.

3. Procedure to follow if a child is suspected of being a victim of violence by a Club employee:

4. Procedure for intervention in the event of a child being harmed at school by a parent or family member of another child:

5. Procedure to follow in the event of child abuse by other children:

− direct, immediate reaction of Club employees to acts of aggression and violence, interruption of aggression or violence,

− the instructor talks with the victim and the perpetrator of violence, persuading the perpetrator to make amends,

− if the child’s condition indicates a threat to his or her health or life, the Club President or another Club employee shall call for medical assistance (after notifying the parents or legal guardians),

6. Procedure to follow in the event of a cyberbullying incident:

– The instructor or other person having knowledge of the incident shall inform the Club President, who is obliged to:

• explain the incident and possibly identify the perpetrator,
• talk to the injured child (provide psychological support, advice),
• talk to the perpetrator, establish the circumstances of the incident, oblige the student to stop such behavior and remove the materials from the Internet,

• notify the injured party's caregivers about the incident,
• inform the perpetrator's guardians about the incident and discuss the child's behavior with them,
• offer psychological and pedagogical help (victim, perpetrator), if necessary.

− If the perpetrator does not comply with the arrangements and if the student continues to be harmed, the Club will take appropriate legal action.

− If the perpetrator of cyberbullying is unknown, the Club President – ​​after examining the case – informs the parents/legal guardians of the injured party about the possibility of reporting the incident to the police.

7. Procedure for dealing with a child with a mental disorder who behaves aggressively towards others or himself:

− for the injured child, forms of support are established that are tailored to his or her needs and situation.

− activities are coordinated and monitored by the instructor and the Club President.

Chapter VI

PROCEDURE FOR SUBMITTING A NOTIFICATION OF A SUSPECTED OFFENSE AGAINST A MINOR AND NOTIFYING THE GUARDIAN COURT

If you become aware that a child under 18 is a victim of domestic violence, you should take the following steps:

1. The instructor should prepare a memo and forward the information obtained to the Club President.
2. The instructor should conduct a conversation with the child to confirm the abuse, inform them of the actions they are required to take, and ensure that the child will be safe in their current residence for the duration of the intervention. The instructor then attempts to conduct a conversation with the parents/guardians, informing them of the intended actions, and presenting a proposal for a safety plan.
3. The instructor prepares a description of the child’s situation based on conversations with the child and parents, as well as a safety plan (child support plan), which would include ways to ensure the student’s safety and a description of the support that the Club can offer, as well as information on specialized child support facilities, if necessary.
4. The Club President informs about the Club's obligation to report violence against minors to the prosecutor's office and to the family and juvenile court.
5. If parents refuse to cooperate or take the actions proposed by the Club, the Club President will immediately submit a report of a suspected crime to the prosecutor's office or a request for review of the family's situation to the Family and Juvenile Court. Further proceedings are the responsibility of these institutions.

Chapter VII

RULES FOR PROVIDING STANDARDS TO EMPLOYEES, MINORS AND THEIR PARENTS/GUARDIANS FOR THEIR FAMILIARITY AND APPLICATION

1. The standards for the protection of minors are made available to Club employees, minors and their guardians upon request.
2. The standards are posted on the Club's website.
3. Every employee is obliged to familiarize themselves with the standards after concluding an employment contract or a contract of mandate.
4. Club employees confirm that they have read the standards by signing (Appendix No. 1).
5. Parents/guardians of minors are familiarised with the standards when the minor starts training and confirm this with their signature (Appendix No. 6).

Chapter VIII

REQUIREMENTS FOR SAFE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MINORS, IN PARTICULAR PROHIBITED BEHAVIOR

1. The guiding principle of relationships between minors is to act with respect, taking into account the dignity and needs of all minors. Any form of violence against another minor is unacceptable.
2. Those exercising at the SOTO Club – Far Eastern Cultural and Sports Centre are not allowed to use violence, bully weaker students, or use vulgar or offensive language.
3. Participants are not allowed to embarrass, humiliate, disrespect, or insult each other. They are not allowed to yell at other minors.
4. Exercisers should respect the right of other exercisers to privacy.
5. Students are not allowed to use vulgar words, gestures or jokes, make offensive remarks, refer to sexual activity or attractiveness in their statements, or use physical advantage over other students (intimidation, coercion, threats).
6. It is forbidden to record the image of other participants (filming, recording voice, taking photos) if they have not given their consent and in situations that may embarrass or offend them.
7. Participants are not allowed to offer each other alcohol, tobacco products or illegal substances, or use them in the presence of other training participants.

Chapter IX

RULES FOR SAFE USE OF THE INTERNET AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA

1. The club does not provide children with internet access.
2. Within the Club, children's access to the Internet is only possible via private mobile devices of Club members.
3. If a child is observed browsing dangerous content, the person responsible for the Internet (the group trainer or the observer) informs the Club management, which notifies the child's guardians about the incident.

Chapter X

RULES FOR ESTABLISHING A MINOR SUPPORT PLAN AFTER DISCLOSURE OF ABUSE

1. Recognizing signs of child abuse. − Gaining knowledge about child abuse.

− Demonstrating a responsible attitude towards students and being ready to respond in situations where their well-being is at risk.

2. Checking signals by collecting additional information.

− If the Club notices any signals, they should be verified by collecting all possible information.

− Instructors pay attention to signs of beating the child, the child’s reluctance to undress, signs of pain when moving, etc.

− Instructors observe the child's disturbed behavior, which may be the result of abuse.

− If necessary, contact is made with employees of other services and institutions dealing with the child and his or her family in order to verify the information available.

3. Confirmation of signals from other sources.

In order to verify suspicions that a child is being harmed, interviews should be conducted with people in the child's environment, e.g. parents and siblings.

4. Analysis of the collected information – diagnosis of the child abuse problem.

After collecting and analyzing the information, the risks and options for supporting the child should be assessed.

5. Planning and implementing interventions in the event of confirmed child abuse. Procedures are described in Chapter V.
6. Legal action involves reporting the matter to the police, prosecutor's office, or court.
7. The Club's tasks in helping abused children:

− Noticing signs of abuse and initiating interventions in cooperation with other services operating in the local support system.

− Collaborating with parents to stop child abuse and solve their problems.

− In justified cases, taking legal action (notifying the family court, police or prosecutor's office).

− Providing the child with the necessary assistance in carrying out tasks and building positive relationships with adults and peers within the Dojo.

− Correcting a child's behavioral disorders during training sessions.

Chapter XI

MONITORING THE APPLICATION OF STANDARDS

1. The person responsible for monitoring the implementation of child protection standards is each instructor conducting classes.
2. The Club President receives reports of problems related to threats to children's safety; responds to these reports, consults with other entities as needed; in justified cases, may report matters to the appropriate services (MOPS, GOPS, police, family court, prosecutor's office).
3. The instructor regularly collects opinions from parents, legal guardians and children about the results of the policy implementation (Appendix 4 and 5).
4. Employees, parents, and students may propose changes to the standards for the protection of minors and indicate violations of established provisions in the Club.
5. The Club President introduces the necessary changes and announces to school employees the new wording of the standards for the protection of minors.

Chapter XII

FINAL PROVISIONS

The standards for the protection of minors enter into force on the date of announcement.