BACA was founded by John Paul Chief Lilly. Chief is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Registered Play Therapist/Supervisor, and Part-time faculty at Brigham Young University. He has been in practice for twenty years, most of which has been spent in the treatment of abused children. Chief became keenly aware that while the system was able to offer much in the way of helping the children to heal, there were gaps that needed to be filled.
The two major gaps were: providing for the safety of the children and, providing funding for their therapy. Even with the court involvement to protect children from further abuse with the issuance of protective orders and removing perpetrators from neighborhoods, the perpetrators were continuing to access and wound the children. It would be nave and misrepresentative to believe that law enforcement officials could protect these children from their perpetrators on a continual basis. Further, many children that are abused do not qualify for therapy funding because their cases did not meet the basic requirements of the rules of evidence, and the cases are closed. While it might be obvious that a child has been abused, that child might not qualify for therapy benefits because he/she was too frightened to provide enough evidence for the case to be pursued. Chief noted that safe children are more capable of telling the truth because the threats made by an abuser are offset by the presence of dedicated bikers that have now become family.
BACA also provides for the children by attending court proceedings and parole hearings with them, escorting them to and from school or errands if necessary, and many other ways to insure that the children are free from fear and can return to their previous level of adaptive functioning.
One of the greatest and unique assets of BACA for the children is its biker family attitude. Bikers are a tightly knitted group. The brotherhood and family values are not just a way to live, but a way of life. One for all and all for one, is not just a quote, it is our reality. The children have an uncanny sense for honesty and trust. The children can feel when they are being lied to or told the truth. When a large group of bikers ride to a childs house to support and honor that child, and the bikers tell that child that he/she does not need to be scared anymore because the bikers are there and will be there under any circumstances, the children feel the security of a brotherhood. Children understand that child abusers are cowards that prey on the helpless. After children have been adopted into the BACA family they are not helpless or powerless anymore.
Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children. We exist as a body of bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. We stand ready to lend support to our wounded friends by involving them with an established, united organization. We work in conjunction with local and state officials who are already in place to protect children. We desire to send a clear message to all involved with the abused child that this child is a part of our organization, and that we are prepared to lend our physical and emotional support to them by affiliation and our physical presence. We stand at the ready to shield these children from further abuse. We do not condone the use of violence or physical force in any manner, however, if circumstances arise such that we are the only obstacle preventing a child from further abuse, WE STAND READY TO BE THAT OBSTACLE!
for more information, go to WWW.BACAUSA.COM
