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Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) was founded by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker John Paul Chief Lily, AKA Chef. Chief also works as a registered Play Therapist/Supervisor and part time faculty member at Brigham Young University. Although Chief felt the system provided a lot of much needed help for children, he felt that there were critical gaps in those services. Chief, having had good experiences with bikers in his childhood, was moved to rally bikers in his neighborhood to protect and encourage a child who had been abused and refused to leave his home. A group of bikers supported the child, gave him rides on their motorcycles and made the child feel protected. Not long after this, the child was seen on a regular basis playing out side, and riding his bike; being a kid again. This success inspired a movement. BACA chapters are now all over the U.S. and several other countries around the world. http://www.bacausa.com/Internet/FAQs.php INTRODUCTION:

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I met with the bikers at Barnes and Noble because the were going to be there for a book signing for A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder. This story is about a 3 year old girl who was murdered by her mother and subsequently changed the child protection efforts in Oregon state with Karlys Law. The bikers passionately participated in the authors presentation. From left to right: Two Guns, Torch, Bum and Gearhead THE INTERVIEW:

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All four bikers participated in the interview. Torch is the head of the Columbia Basin chapter and the point of contact. Bum and Torch are responsible for bringing in a BACA chapter to the Tri-Cities. Two Guns is the Vice President. Gearhead is the Treasurer. All four of them are willing to stand in the way of harm to a child. Although BACA does not condone violence, all four are willing if absolutely necessary, to stand in the way of immediate harm to a child, even if it means injury or imprisonment. BACA members are all volunteer employees. The group reports that they are usually working on something for the group everyday working on fundraising activities, keeping the organization running and protecting children. Members must pass a background check and be approved by council members. Torch related that he can usually tell when someones heart is not in the right place, and he has no problem getting rid of them. BACA members do not use their real names and do not share where they work or live.

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The types of services BACA offers are: o Advocacy for court. o Visits with children who have been abused to help put them at ease to talk about what happened to them. o Help paying for therapies children might need that their insurance doesnt pay for. o Therapies, such as going to Chucky Cheese, to the park, or another activity a child might enjoy that might help facilitate the healing process. o [ BACA members never work alone with children, there is always another an extra set of eyes to ensure children are not in a vulnerable position] SERVICES:

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BACA has four intervention levels. Level 1 is the initial visit to find out if the child is interested in their support. If so they present the child with their own vest and give the child a road name. The road name also serves as a privacy measure for the child. [The childs caregiver must agree to involve BACA] Level 2 may involve such things as escorting a child to school who is being bullied. If a perpetrator is harassing the family, BACA may hang out at the families home to make a visual presence. If a child is afraid to sleep BACA may park in front of the house at night so the child feels safe. Level 3 If a threat continues to escalate BACA will bring an RV to the house and stay until the child feels safe. Level 4 BACA will go to the neighborhood of the perpetrator and distribute BACA information and let the neighborhood know there is a child abuser among them. INTERVENTIONS:

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The bikers all agreed that what they like least about their job is that they are needed at all and that so many children live in fear. The thing they like most about their work is watching the progress children make after three or four of their visits. When they first show up often times children are very fearful of people and even hiding, then after a few visits kids are starting to act like kids again. The one thing the group would change about their work, besides the need for their services, would be the effectiveness of Washington state laws in preventing child abuse. They would also like to see more community involvement. PERSPECTIVES:

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The members of BACA that I spoke with felt like some of he causes of abuse and neglect might be: The build up of stress. The straw broke the camels back phenomenon. Generational abuse. Financial stress. Drugs. Societys unwillingness to get involved. Lack of work ethic (the lack of incentive to do good work). General moral decline. WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF CHILD ABUSE?

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Some elements the BACA members thought contributed to essential elements of intervention were: Truthful communication. An example of this they gave were guardians fighting against each other and losing sight of the main goal of the childs wellbeing. Unity. Every understands that they are there for the child, not forming alliances. Creating an environment where children feel safe to voice their thoughts, feelings and experiences. ELEMENTS OF INTERVENTION:

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Elements essential for the prevention of child abuse BACA members felt were: Support people should keep showing up. Not giving up on the child or the situation; remain present. Community/parent education and awareness of abuse and prevention efforts. People should stop concerning themselves with the repercussion of reporting abuse. Listen to children; what they say is important. More Good Samaritan laws. ELEMENTS OF PREVENTION:

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Trust your instincts. Children dont fabricate complex lies. Believe it until proven otherwise. Consider the background of the person doing the investigation. How might their experiences influence their perspective. Have a plan for interviewing children. Structure the questions and interview in a way that is kid friendly and allows them to be comfortable to communicate. Be more personable; dont come off as distant and uncaring. ADVICE FOR UP AND COMING SOCIAL WORKERS:

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Columbia Basin Contact Information: Columbia Basin Chapter P.O Box 4776 West Richland WA 99353 HELPLINE Number 509-780-6221 PresidentPresident Torch Vice PresidentVice President 2Guns Sgt at ArmsSgt at Arms open SecretarySecretary Wildfire TreasurerTreasurer Gearhead http://washington.bacaworld.org/chapter/columbia-basin-chapter/