'Bikers Against Child Abuse' are a Shining Example of Guardian Angels #AtoZChallenge

Picture this - a young child sitting frightened in a courtroom staring at the man who sexually abused her. Now imagine her looking to her right, where, seated in the audience, are thirty huge, tattooed bikers supporting her, letting her know she does not have to be afraid of him anymore.

Child abuse does not end with the dastardly deed. Fear, withdrawal from society and psychological scars plague the child often sending them spiraling down a pathway to destruction before they ever reach adulthood. Worse, often the child is once more confronted by the perpetrator, aimed at intimidating the vulnerable child against continuing revealing the truth.

Therapist John Paul Lilly realized this while trying to help children and decided that something unique had to be done to undo the fears that were destroying these children from within and without.
Sometimes to get rid of monsters, you need to put on the robes of that which monsters fear. And so, he started Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) in 1995, a non-profit, tax exempt group aimed at empowering victims of child abuse.

These big, burly bikers work with no salary, escorting children to school and sitting at court hearings, in essence being their personal bodyguards. They have stayed guard outside houses at night, protecting mothers and children from abusive fathers. They arrive on play dates, organize parties and barbecues and slowly help the child heal and trust once more.

The message to offenders is clear - "This child is one of us now. No harm shall ever fall upon her again."

The child, however, is taught to have no fear around these big strangers as he/she is made a part of the bikers club (complete with an orientation session meeting all of them, getting matching jackets and gifts), bonding with them and slowly reintegrating back into society. The child is now one of them and knows they will never allow any harm to come to him/her.

Their methods may seem unorthodox but have been successful to such an extent that today, BACA has multiple state branches within the USA and is even present internationally in 12 other countries, coming to the aid of children across the world. They get their referrals directly from the police themselves besides child care agencies and scared guardians.

Why I want you to remember Bikers Against Child Abuse

I found the idea of B.A.C.A brilliant. The negative stereotype of intimidating bikers in groups is used to scare away vicious predators while simultaneously, the tender nature of these riders is revealed to the children who slowly gain their confidence back, knowing they are loved and cared for once more.

Have a few minutes? Check out the video below of a real-life story of survival because of BACA. 

Don't have a few minutes? Still check it out.

You can read more about them at their site here.

This is part of my #AtoZChallenge where I will be focusing on Real Life Heroes: Shining Examples of Kindness and Compassion. You can find other real-life heroes here.