Safety at Kaizen

Most Kaizen users are students, many of them minors. That shapes everything about how the platform is built. This page explains our safety practices in plain language — for students, parents, and tutors.

If you're in crisis

Kaizen is a study tool, not crisis care. If you or someone you know is struggling: call or text 988(Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free, 24/7), text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line), or call 911 in an emergency. For abuse or neglect: Childhelp, 1-800-422-4453. The AI tutor is instructed to share these resources and stop tutoring if a student appears to be in distress.

How human tutors are vetted

• Every tutor application is reviewed by a person.
• Before a tutor can ever be booked, a Kaizen administrator must interview them and record an approval. This gate is enforced by the platform — an unapproved tutor cannot appear in the directory or be booked, full stop.
• We do not currently run third-party criminal background checks. We are working to add them and will update this page the moment that changes. Until then, please supervise live sessions involving minors and use the in-session report button if anything concerns you.
• Tutors who fail screening, or who violate our conduct rules, are removed immediately.

How live sessions work

• Most sessions are private 1:1 video rooms. Some are small drop-in groups of up to 4 students with one tutor at a lower per-seat price. Rooms open 15 minutes before the booked time and expire afterward. Only the tutor and the students who booked that specific session can enter. A group session places several minors together with an adult on live video — please supervise, as you would 1:1.
• Sessions are not recorded by Kaizen.
• Students under 18 need a parent/guardian's approval (recorded via an emailed consent link) before any live session can be booked.
• Tutors may never request a student's personal contact information, communicate with students off-platform, or arrange in-person meetings. Violations are grounds for immediate removal.

Reporting a concern

• There's a "Report a concern" button inside every video session. Reports alert the Kaizen safety team immediately.
• You can also report anything — about a session, the AI, or another user — from this page: email hello@kaizentutors.com with the subject "SAFETY". Safety email is monitored with priority.
• We investigate every report, and we cooperate with law enforcement. Content that endangers a child is reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) as US law requires.

The AI tutor's guardrails

• The AI is clearly labeled as an AI in every chat, and will say so if asked. It is instructed to keep all content age-appropriate, refuse romantic/sexual conversation, never request personal information, and never suggest off-platform contact.
• If a student expresses thoughts of self-harm or describes an unsafe situation, the AI is instructed to stop tutoring, respond with care, and point to the crisis resources above.
• The AI teaches rather than doing work for students — see our Academic Integrity policy.

For parents

• You'll get an email when your teen signs up, and live tutoring stays locked until you approve it.
• Link to your student's account (Settings → Family) to see grades, streaks, and weekly reports.
• You can withdraw live-session approval, request your teen's data, or have their account deleted at any time — email us or reply to any Kaizen message.