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Help and advice for
parents and carers
New Update - 5th May 2011
Until such time as the ISA requirements are re-established
by the government, please note that all BAB CRB checks
should be renewed every 3 years. If you have any queries
then please contact your Association CPO, or Sue Ward, Lead
Safeguarding Officer by email -
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As a parent you play a very
important role in safeguarding your child from harm. The information
you provide and the example you set can give them the knowledge and
confidence needed to deal with threatening or abusive situations.
It is your right as a parent to be able to check how well
a aikido club is run, for the sake of your child's safety and your
peace of mind.
on this page you can find:
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with questions to ask when choosing a club
for your child and
to watch out for
- clear information
and common
- the importance of
and how to
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for all children and
- details on
if you are worried that a child is being abused
or put at risk during aikido.
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Questions to ask and things to look out for when choosing a Aikido
club for your child
Here are the key points you should
check out when choosing a aikido club for your child.
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You may also find the BAB Club
Location systems useful, look for clubs that
include children's classes.
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Remember, a well-run club will welcome
questions about their activities and policies. They will know
they have a responsibility to give this kind of information to
anyone who leaves a child in their care.
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Recruitment of staff and volunteers.
Have they all been selected through a proper recruitment
process? This should include interviews, references and
police checks for staff working for children. BAB
Clubs should follow the BAB recruitment policy
Each Coach or Helper should be
able to produce a current Criminal Records Bureau
Enhanced Disclosure.
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How well are staff and volunteers trained?
In addition to sports skills, they should all
have been trained in safeguarding young people and
health and safety procedures. All BAB coaches that
instruct children should have at least BAB Coach Level 1
and Young Persons Qualifications. You may check you
, Just select the name of your club coach.
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Supervision of staff and volunteers.
There should be someone in charge to supervise staff and
volunteers at all times.
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Health and safety. Make sure that
there is a leader qualified in first aid and that there
are: a first aid box, arrangements for drinks and
guidelines about dealing with injuries; also that the
premises satisfy fire regulations. Each club should also
have a recent risk assessment form.
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Is the coach qualified? Your child's
coach should have a recognised qualification that
includes child protection training. All BAB coaches
that instruct children should have at least BAB Coach
Level 1 and Young Persons Qualifications. You may check
you
, Just select the name of your club coach.
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If your child or you have any worries, who can
you talk to? The clubs coaches and Club Welfare
Officer should be prepared to listen and tell you what
to do. They should have information about local or
national services that can also offer advice and support
if you are unhappy about the way you concern is dealt
with. They should also have a completed version of
the Useful Child Safeguarding Contact Details Sheet ()
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Does the club have a written code of behaviour?
There should be a written code of behaviour
showing what is required of staff, volunteers and
participants. Avoid organisations that permit bullying,
shouting, racism, sexism or any other kind of oppressive
behaviour. All BAB Affiliated associations and there
clubs should have a code of behaviour. ( )
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Does the organisation have a child protection
policy? All BAB Affiliated associations and
there clubs should have a should have a child protection
policy, with a clear procedure for dealing with concerns
about possible abuse. Parents and carers should be able
to view the policy on request. The BAB child protection
policy that all BAB Affiliated associations and there
clubs have signed up to can be found in the Down Load
Section at the bottom of this page.
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What boundaries exist concerning club
relationships? The club should have clear
guidelines about physical contact and social activities
between staff, volunteers, participating children, and
parents. Find out who is the club welfare officer you
can speak to if you have concerns about boundaries not
being observed.
Be very wary of a club where staff or
volunteers create a culture within the club where the following is
common practice:
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parents are discouraged from watching or becoming involved in
training or other activities
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rough play, sexual innuendo or humiliating punishments
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individuals who take charge operate independently of the club
or sport guidelines
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coaches who show favouritism or personally reward particular
children
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encouragement of inappropriate physical contact
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staff/volunteers inviting children to spend time alone with
them outside of scheduled sports activities, or request this
through parents
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poor communication with parents and lack of parental
involvement
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children suddenly drop out or stop going for no apparent
reason.
It is hoped that all BAB Affiliated associations and there
clubs should not fall into these categories, If you have any
problems please contact the Association Child Protection Officer
or
contact Sue Ward, the BAB Lead Child Protection Officer on 01271
327800 or 01271 343952 If Sue is not immediately available please leave a message and she will call you back.
You can also email -
Definition and Indicators of Child Abuse
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Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a
child. A child may be abused or neglected by someone who:
• Inflicts harm,
•
Fails to
act to prevent harm.
A child may be abused by:
• A family member • By a person
within an institutional or community setting • By a
person known to them or more rarely by a stranger •
An adult or adults, or another child or children.
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Types of Abuse
Physical abuse
Physical
abuse may involve, for instance, hitting, shaking, poisoning,
burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, throwing
( except
in the controlled environment of an aikido class), or
otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may
also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms
of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.
Aikido is a sport whereby actions including
physical contact do take place. For physical abuse to take place
the action would be a deliberate act and not in keeping with the
ethos of the martial art; for example, applying techniques
against the joint – such as nikkyo or sankyo – with children
under the age of 12. (see also )
Emotional abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional
maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent
adverse effects on the child’s emotional development.
• It may involve conveying to children
that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or
valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another
person. • It may feature age or inappropriate
expectations being imposed on children. These may
include interactions that are beyond the
child’s developmental capability, as well as
overprotection and limitation of exploration and
learning, or preventing the child participating
in normal social interaction. • It may involve
seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. • It
may involve serious bullying, causing children
frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the
exploitation or corruption of children. Some
level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of
maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
In Aikido this may be child on child, or adult
on child, and could include requiring children to undertake
actions appropriate to the sport but not appropriate within that
child’s age group. Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a
child to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution,
whether or not the child is aware of what is happening.
• The activities may involve physical
contact, including penetrative (e.g. rape, buggery or
oral sex) or non-penetrative acts. • They may
include non-contact activities, such as involving
children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual
online images, watching sexual
activities, or encouraging children to behave in
sexually inappropriate ways.
Child sex abusers can come from any
professional, racial or religious background, and can be male or
female. They are not always adults - children can also behave in
a sexually abusive way. Usually the abuser is a family member or
someone known to the child, such as a family friend. Some
individuals will target a sport that allows access to children
specifically to commit acts of sexual abuse.
Abusers may act alone or as part of an organised
group. After the abuse, they will put the child under great
pressure not to tell anyone about it. They will go to great
lengths to get close to children and win their trust. For
example, by choosing employment that brings them into contact
with children, or by pretending to be children in internet chat
rooms run for children.
NeglectNeglect is the persistent failure to meet a
child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to
result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or
development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of
maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may
involve parent or carer failing to:
• Provide adequate food, clothing
and shelter (including exclusion from home or
abandonment). • Protect a child from physical
and emotional harm or danger. • Ensure adequate
supervision (including the use of inadequate
care-givers). • Ensure access to appropriate
medical care or treatment. • It may also include
neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic
emotional needs.
In Aikido, while responsible adults must provide
a Duty of Care to children in the club (provide appropriate
first aid and summoning help if a child is hurt) it may be that
the Coach or another person in the club may have concerns about
a child who attends in terms of parental care. This may be
identified by a child’s clothing being inappropriate for the
time of year or repeated late collection of children from the
session.
Bullying
Bullying is repeated deliberate actions by one
or more people that causes hurt to an individual or group and
where it is difficult for the bullied person(s) to prevent of
deal with the bullies actions. The damage inflicted by bullying
can frequently be underestimated. It can cause considerable
distress to children, to the extent that it affects their health
and development or, at the extreme, causes them significant harm
(including self-harm).
The Anti bullying charity "Kidscape" defines
bullying as a child encountering bullying attacks that includes:
• Physical. Pushing, kicking, hitting,
pinching and other forms of violence or threats. •
Verbal. Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours,
persistent teasing. • Emotional. Excluding (sending
to Coventry), tormenting, ridicule, humiliation.
Bullying can occur between:
• An adult and a child. • A child
and a child. • A parent and own child.
None of the above are acceptable within aikido
The competitive nature of any sport can create
an environment which provides opportunities for bullying.
Examples of bullying in aikido could be:
• A parent who pushes too hard. • A
coach who adopts a win-at-all costs philosophy. • A
child aikidoka who intimidates inappropriately • An
older aikidoka who intimidates inappropriately • An
official who places unfair pressure on a person
The physical contact in Aikido,
combined with the importance of discipline and respect for
authority, can create the opportunity for bullying; for example,
coaches who inflict pain or humiliation on child
ukes or adult
ukes while children are
watching.
Harassment
Harassment is an act that is unwanted by the
recipient. It may be the provision of items or unwanted actions
from another person but by definition it is the unwanted nature
of the action or item that distinguishes the nature of the act
to be harassment. As an example, most clubs encourage students
to change partners regularly during a class and discourage
refusing practice with any one individual. This might be
exploited so that a child felt unable to refuse to practice with
someone who was using the practice to constantly criticise the
child’s technique or to show the child that their technique was
ineffective.
It is for any given individual to determine for
themselves what is acceptable to them and what they regard as
offensive.
Harassment can be deemed to be a criminal
offence in some circumstances and can lead to the use of a
restraining order or criminal prosecution. Harassment can take
many forms, some examples being suggestive sexual remarks;
racist insults or jokes; verbal abuse or foul language
exclusion; unwelcome attention. The impact of harassment for the
individual can be profound. Harassment can lead to the child
feeling unhappy, demoralize, undervalued as a person. Harassment
is an often a constant ongoing type of abuse where the
individual causes extreme distress by the repeated action usual
verbally.
Abuse is not always easy to identify. Children can be
bruised/injured in everyday life by, for example, falling off
bikes and playing with friends. In adolescence, children can be
moody and unpredictable in their behaviour.
Children can react to external circumstances by
a change in behaviour such as bereavement or parental
divorce/separation. However some signs may alert you to a view
that a child may be being abused. Some indicators of abuse are:
• The child discloses a concern and
describes what may be an abusive act
 • Another
person raises concern about the wellbeing of a child.
• A change in the child’s behaviour to or
relationship with the parent or carer • Unexplained
or concerning injuries such as burns, cuts, and bruises
situated in area of the child’s body where not normally
prone to injury through, for example,
play activity. • Physical injury where the
explanation given is inconsistent. • Unexplained changes in behaviour
such as a child becoming withdrawn, quiet or
aggressive/verbally violent. • Inappropriate sexual
awareness and/or behaving in a sexualised manner •
Eating disorder i.e. a child is overeating or showing a
loss of appetite. • Excessive weight loss or weight
gain for no obvious reason. • Physical appearance
becomes unkempt. • The child is withdrawn and
isolates themselves from the group and seem unable to
make friends • The child is prevented from
socialising with other children. • The child
displays a distrust of adults. • Behavioural changes
such as reduced concentration and/or becoming withdrawn,
clingy, depressed, tearful, emotionally up and down,
reluctance to go to school, training or sports club.
• A drop in performance at school or in the sport. •
Physical signs such as stomach-aches, headaches,
difficulty in sleeping, bed-wetting, scratching and
bruising, damaged clothes and bingeing
for example on food, cigarettes or alcohol. • A
shortage of money or frequent loss of possessions.
This is not an exhaustive list of indicators and alone cannot
be seen to be definitive proof a child is being abused.
If your child talks to you about
anything that is worrying them, always listen carefully and take
them seriously. Try to build an open and trusting relationship
so they know they can come to you with their concerns.
If your child tells you they have been abused, or
describes what you think may be abuse, they may be feeling very
anxious or embarrassed. It is important that you do not react in
a way that adds to their distress.
Here are some points
to remember:
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try to react calmly
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listen very carefully to what your child tells you
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make clear that you believe what your child says
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tell your child that they have done the right thing by
telling you
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tell them that they are not to blame
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it is very important that you take action to end the
abuse .
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Talk to your child about keeping safe. Encourage them to
tell you straightaway if they feel uncomfortable or have
worries about an adult's behaviour, whether during
sports activities or in any other situations.
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Tell your child that he or she always
has the right to say "No" if an adult is trying to
persuade them to do something they feel is
wrong, or which makes them feel uncomfortable or
frightened.
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Be a good listener. Children often feel very anxious and
embarrassed about speaking out about abuse or bullying.
So listen very carefully and take what your child
says seriously. See
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Make sure your child understands about sex and about
their body. Talking about this may feel a little
difficult at first, but it can play an important
part in protecting your child from abuse. For example,
your child needs to understand about the private
parts of the body in order to recognise what is
acceptable touching by an adult and what is not.
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Decide together on an "emergency plan" for your child to
follow in situations when they may be at risk of harm.
Make sure he or she understands what they
should do. If they are going to an "away" event,
encourage them to spend their free time there
with a friend or another participant.
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Make your child aware of other helpful contacts for
children. See
Parents
can play an important role in making sports safe and enjoyable
for all children.
Here are some ways you can
help:
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encourage your child's club to develop safeguarding
policies and guidelines
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check to make sure that the guidelines are being put
into practice
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find out who the child protection/welfare officer is and
support them in their work
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get involved as a volunteer
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go along to support your child's involvement in training
or competitions
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if you are actively involved in the club, make sure your
behaviour sets the right example. See
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If you are actively involved in your
child's aikido club, remember that your behaviour can have
either a positive or negative effect on the club's culture and
atmosphere.
How you behave at the dojo or
competition and what you say and do afterwards to your child
will not only affect him or her. It also influences how other
parents and children behave.
Your approval is very
important to your child. What you say and do about their
performance has a major effect on how they feel about themselves
and their abilities. So give positive and constructive feedback
about his or her efforts. You should not make negative,
personalised comments or punish them in any way.
Don't
have a "win at all cost" attitude, or encourage this in your
child. Remember, learning to lose with a good grace is an
important part of sportsmanship.
More positive behaviour:
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find out the names of those who run the aikido club and
introduce yourself to them
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make sure you arrive on time before and after your
child's activity
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make sure you tell the club if your child isn't able to
attend a planned activity or if you need to make changes
in pick-up arrangements
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help your child prepare by making sure they have all the
necessary equipment, food and drinks
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find out ways you can actively support the club's
activities
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if you have any concerns, talk about them to the
appropriate member of staff/volunteer. If you are
unhappy with the response you get from the club, contact
the association child protection officer or Sue Ward, the BAB Lead Child Protection Officer on
01271 327800 or 01271 343952 If Sue is not immediately available please leave a message and she will call you back.
You can also email -
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comply with any requests made by club officials, even if
the request is being asked to leave.
Parents should accurately complete a
parental consent form ensuring the club are aware of any health
issues and have emergency contact details.
If you are worried that your child is
being abused or put at risk during aikido it is vital that you
talk to someone about it.
The idea of speaking
out about abuse or poor practice in a aikido club can be
daunting. You will probably feel worried about the impact on you
and/or your child. But if you have concerns you must take
action. By doing so you will be safeguarding your child and also
helping to prevent other children being harmed or put at risk.
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Speak to the club child protection or welfare officer.
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Speak to the association child protection officer or
If you have any
problems please contact Sue Ward, the BAB Lead Child Protection Officer on 01271 327800 or 01271 343952 If Sue is not immediately available please leave a message and she will call you back.
You can also email -
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Find out the club guidelines for recording and reporting
concerns and follow them.
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If you think a child is in immediate danger of abuse,
contact the police on 999, or your local social services
department.
- If you are a child, or have concerns about a child's safety, you can ring the NSPCC's 24 hour free phone helpline
Telephone: 0808 800 5000 Asian Helpline: 0808 096 7719 Welsh Helpline: 0808 100 2524 Textphone:
0800 056 0686 (for deaf users) Website:
www.nspcc.org.uk
- or contact the Child Protection in Sport
Unit (CPSU)
3 Gilmour Close, Beaumont Leys, Leicester LE4 1EZ
Telephone:
0116 235 7278 Website:
www.thecpsu.org.uk
Useful websites
www.childline.org.uk - ChildLine is the UK's free and
confidential, 24-hour helpline for children in distress or
danger.
www.bullying.co.uk - Advice for children, parents and
schools about dealing with bullying.
www.thinkuknow.co.uk - The latest information on the
websites you like to visit, mobiles and new technology. Find out
what's good, what's not and what you can do about it.
www.ceop.gov.uk - The Child Exploitation and Online
Protection (CEOP) Centre is part of UK police and is dedicated
to protecting children from sexual abuse wherever they may be.
You can report abuse through their site by using the button
below. But if you know about a child or young person who
is in immediate danger, immediate risk or you require an urgent
response, you must call 999 or your local police.

| Area |
Title |
Type |
Version |
Upload Date |
| Safeguarding | | Pdf | March 2010 | 13-Oct-2011 |
| | Pdf | Revised Jun 2008 | 13-Oct-2011 |
| | Pdf | Ver 1 | 19-May-2010 |
| | Pdf | October 2010 Version 1.1 | 13-Oct-2011 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 13-Oct-2011 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 13-Oct-2011 |
| | Pdf | Ver 1 | 20-Apr-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | Ver 1 Dec 2009 | 14-Jan-2010 |
| | Pdf | Dec 2009 | 22-Jan-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 13-Oct-2011 |
| | Pdf | Autumn 2009 | 06-Nov-2009 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 13-Oct-2011 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 13-Oct-2011 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | None | 06-Nov-2009 |
| | Pdf | March 2010 | 22-Mar-2010 |
| | Pdf | October 2009 | 06-Nov-2009 |
| | Pdf | 22/9/2011 | 22-Sep-2011 |
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Disclaimer: The views, advice and
information contained in these pages do not
constitute any legal advice. The information
supplied is believed to be wholly correct at the
time of publication, but some content will have
been gleaned by the BAB from various information
sources. |
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