JKAAF is committed to the safety of our members and harassment or abuse in any form is unacceptable to this organization.  Harassment or abuse can be based on any grounds including race, religion, color, creed, ethnic origin, physical attributes, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, socio-economic status or athletic ability.  It can include a one-off incident or a series of incidents.  It may be in person or online.  Harassment may be deliberate, unsolicited, or coercive.  JKAAF members and non-member participants at JKAAF events are expected to comply with the following standards of behavior.

 

STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR

 

JKAAF expects its members and non-member participants to

ALWAYS:

a. uphold city, state, and country laws, and all applicable sport codes, rules and regulations, and refrain from encouraging others to break any laws, rules or regulations;

b. ensure that their intentions, actions and communications reflect a commitment to prioritizing the safety and well-being of all participants;

c. maintain the highest standards of conduct, respect their position of authority and/or trust, and act in the best interest of children, young people and/or vulnerable persons;

d. be aware of their own behavior, maintain appropriate boundaries with others, and respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person without any form of discrimination;

e. stand against and report any form of harassment and abuse, neglect, abuse of power, trust, influence or authority, bullying or any other behavior that would reasonably be considered abusive amongst or towards any individuals.

 

NEVER:

f. condone or engage in any form of psychological, physical or sexual violence or neglect towards others;

g. engage in physical or online activities that could reasonably be considered inappropriate or culturally insensitive towards others, especially children and other vulnerable persons;

h. make or share comments or images that could be reasonably considered inappropriate, are demeaning or indecent, or place people at risk of physical, emotional or reputational damage.

 

REPORTS OF HARASSMENT:

If a JKAAF member, the parent or guardian of a member under the age of 18, or a non-member participant believes they are being harassed or abused at or during a JKAAF camp, tournament, training session, or other JKAAF event, the conduct should be reported immediately.  Reports should be made in writing, and may be sent to the email at the bottom of this webpage, or may be delivered by hand directly to an Executive Director of JKAAF.  The report should contain the date(s), harassment complained of, individuals involved, and other information important to the complaint.  

 

After a report is submitted, JKAAF will initiate an assessment to determine if the report contains an allegation or allegations of harassment or abuse which violate JKAAF’s standards of behavior.  JKAAF is not an investigatory agency and is comprised of volunteers who are interested in maintaining the integrity of the organization.  Accordingly, JKAAF will not make any declarations regarding a report where a criminal offense has occurred or is suspected to have been committed until after any criminal proceedings are concluded.  If JKAAF determines that information contained in the report may be subject to mandatory reporting requirements (for example, activities and behaviors including child abuse) or may include a criminal offense that should be dealt with by public authorities, JKAAF will comply with all applicable laws and report the information to the appropriate authorities, or facilitate such reporting.   

 

This reporting procedure is also not appropriate to be the first method for reporting concerns that occur at a dojo affiliated with JKAAF.  If a report is made and during the assessment or investigation JKAAF determines that the conduct complained of occurred at a dojo outside of a JKAAF event and the dojo had no opportunity to address the underlying complaint, JKAAF may refer the report to the head of that dojo for further investigation as may be appropriate. 

 

If after the preliminary assessment JKAAF determines that further investigation is warranted by the organization, JKAAF will investigate the issue to determine if any potential disciplinary issues exist, considering the nature and severity of the alleged violations, the number of alleged violations, and any other relevant circumstances (e.g. if an individual involved is a minor) before any potential measures or sanctions may be applied. 

 

JKAAF is aware that these reports may contain sensitive information.  Individuals submitting reports may choose to remain anonymous.  However, there is a risk that JKAAF will be unable to thoroughly investigate anonymous reports if enough information is not provided.  JKAAF is committed to ensuring the confidentiality of any member, parent or guardian, or non-member participant who uses this reporting procedure and identifies themself, and will not share any information obtained with any individual outside of the JKAAF Executive Board, unless required by law.    The submitted report will remain confidential during the investigation, unless it is suspected that the report includes activities or behaviors, including child abuse, that require mandatory reporting to public authorities, or if the report should be referred to a particular dojo, as stated above.