Bikers band together to help wounded children

Off the Wire
Several members of the Bikers Against Child Abuse rode from St. George and Las Vegas recently tell the Mesquite Exchange Club about their unique methodology for keeping children safe.
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BACA exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children. They empower the children not to feel afraid of the world they live in. They work in conjunction with local and state officials to protect these children.
BACA was founded in 1995 by “Chief” Lilly of Orem, Utah. He is a licensed clinical social worker, registered play therapist supervisor, and part-time faculty member at BYU.
Lilly started BACA as an idea to help one wounded child. The child was eight years old, and was so frightened of his perpetrators that he wouldn’t leave his residence. With Lilly’s experiences with bikers from his youth, he was moved to include this boy in his biker circle of friends.
It was only a matter of time before the word spread, and soon the first chapter of BACA was formed in Utah and then Oklahoma and Texas. BACA is now found around the country.
The group’s desire is to send a clear message that each child who has been abused is a part of BACA and that each BACA member is prepared to lend physical and emotional support. They stand ready to shield these children from further abuse, and while they do not condone the use of violence or physical force in any manner, if the circumstances arise where they are the only obstacle between the child and the perpetrator, they will stand ready to be that obstacle.
The statistics are staggering. One in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. Seventy percent of all abuse cases involve children under the age of 10, and for every reported case of child abuse, three more remain unreported, and 1,500 children die every year from child abuse and neglect.
“You cannot call this anything else but an epidemic, and we’re the plague to that epidemic of child abuse, and will do all we can to eradicate it,” said Lilly.
BACA has four levels of intervention.
The first level is the initial adoption of the child into the BACA family. They ride as a group to the child’s house (with the involvement of the parent or guardian) to present each child with a BACA vest, bear, blanket, stickers and a photograph of the child with his or her new biker family.
It is to assure each child that they have a family that won’t run and hide, but will stand with each child. The message is that the child will not have to fear being alone, and that you don’t want to mess with their family.
The second level is to be a shield to deter further abuse or harassment. Several BACA members will be sent to create a visible presence at the home of the child.
The third level is that if levels one and two don’t work, a letter from BACA will be sent to the perpetrator explaining BACA’s presence and that they are prepared to take whatever steps are necessary to become the obstacle to further abuse.
Level four is a neighborhood “Awareness Ride,” in the general geographical location of the offender, but if they know of the address or location of the offender, they will immediately withdraw to avoid contact.
Their philosophy is that no child deserves to live in fear.
“Shots,” the president of the St. George chapter of BACA talked about how in a couple of hours they can get up to a hundred members to make sure a child is cared for.
Each member of BACA must pass National Crime Information Center background checks.
BACA is a 501(C)3 non profit charity. It is not a vigilante group, and they do not hunt down perpetrators, advocate revenge, and do not threaten or “get even.”
To find out more information you can visit their website www.bacausa.com, or their national helpline 1-866-71-ABUSE.
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