From Diana Davila,
Your Guide to Martial Arts.
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A little talked about but very real danger exists in the world of martial arts, just as in any other youth sport. That is the danger of a child being sexually abused. Sexual predators are drawn to jobs and circumstances that will put them around children on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this includes the martial arts. While no child is ever completely safe, an informed parent can take several steps to safeguard their child.

Some Statistics

• Children are most often abused by someone they know and trust. This can include teachers, coaches, church members or clergy or relatives.
• Sexual abuse is widely unreported. Victims can be ashamed, frightened or worried about what will happen if they tell someone. They may think that no one will believe them. They may feel conflicted and not want to get the perpetrator into trouble or have peers turn against them. The National Foundation to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse estimates that one out of every three girls and one out of every six boys will be abused in some way by their late teens. The majority of cases will never be reported, or may be reported years later.

Preventing Abuse in the Martial Arts School

The first thing a parent can do is the be informed. Do a search on the various online state databases to see if the instructor, assistant instructors or any staff member at the martial arts school you are selecting is listed as a sex offender. You can also check with your local police department to see if there have been any reports or complaints of abuse of any kind, as well as to check on any other pertinent criminal complaints or charges.

Be an involved parent! Probably the most effective and valuable thing you can do is to simply be an involved parent. Attend your child's classes if possible. If you can not attend, make sure to pick up and drop off the child as close to his or her assigned class time as possible. If your child has a movie night or out of town tournament, try to attend, or have an adult you trust to attend with your child. If an instructor ever has a problem with you accompanying your child to an overnight function, then there is a problem. Being an involved and attentive parent is the best way to keep your child focused and consistent with his or her training as well, so being active serves many positive purposes.

Pay Attention to Your Child Observe your child's behavior. Any drastic changes to behavior, habits or appearance should be red flags that something is wrong, whether or not you suspect abuse. Some behavioral signs to watch out for include

• withdrawing from friends and family
• depression
• hostility or unusual aggression
• nightmares
• suddenly having an extreme aversion to a particular person or place
• soiling or wetting the bed after being fully potty trained.

Teach Your Children Children should be taught that it is OK to tell someone no if they feel they are being asked to do something or touched in an inappropriate manner. The child should understand that even though you are to respect adults, it is ok to say no and tell someone if they think the sensei, coach or other adult is doing something wrong. Make sure your child knows that they can come to you with any problems or issues they may have.

Continue to page 2 - What to do if you suspect abuse.