Following this initial contact, the child is given the name and number of two B.A.C.A. Members residing geographically closest to them, who then become the child’s primary contacts. Prior to becoming the primary contacts for the child, the bikers are cleared for participation by passing an extensive background check, have ridden with the Chapter for at least a year, and have received special instructions from the Licensed Mental Health Professional. Anytime the child feels scared and feels the need for the presence of his new B.A.C.A. family, the child may call upon these bikers to go to the child’s house and provide the necessary reassurance to feel safe and protected. B.A.C.A. Members and supporters also support the children by: providing escorts for them if they feel scared in their neighborhoods; riding by their homes on a regular basis; supporting the children at court and parole hearings; attending their interviews, and; staying with the children if they are alone and frightened. The B.A.C.A. Members never go to the child’s house alone and never without the knowledge or permission of the parents or caregivers. Our Mission is not to be permanently engaged as the child's power. Our Mission is to help the children and their families learn how powerful they can be. Our presence will be available as long as the child needs us. B.A.C.A. also holds other functions for the children such as Bar-B-Ques, and parties.
 

If the above actions, considered Level I, is not sufficient to deter further abuse or harassment, several B.A.C.A. Members will be sent for further exposure. This group of B.A.C.A. Members will create a presence at the home of the child, being visible at times when the family might be the most vulnerable. The purpose of B.A.C.A.’s presence is to deter further abuse and to protect the children and the family, if necessary. The bikers will maintain a presence around the child 24/7 until the threat is no longer an issue. The longest vigilance Bulldog was aware of was for three months, that's three months of B.A.C.A. members remaining outside the home and otherwise with the child for 24 hours a day every day.
 

B.A.C.A. will support their children in court. The sole purpose for their physical presence is to assist the child in being less intimidated and frightened, and subsequently give an accurate testimony regarding his/her abuse. If the child requests their presence in the courtroom, the parent or guardian for the child must petition the child’s attorney, who then will intercede on behalf of the child to the presiding Judge. Absolutely no physical confrontation of the perpetrator will be tolerated by B.A.C.A., and anyone acting in such a manner will be acting outside of the scope of B.A.C.A. and will be held completely and solely accountable for his/her actions. When possible, the two bikers assigned to the child as his/her primary contacts should be in attendance. Given that it is not always possible for the primary contact bikers to be in attendance, a petition may be made to the general membership for their attendance and support. It has been shown that, with the support of B.A.C.A., there is a 75% greater chance that the child will be able to testify in court.
 

To become involved as a member of B.A.C.A. one must first be a supporter in good standing for a minimum of 1 year. Before becoming a supporter a person must be at least 18 years of age, fingerprinted, and have an extensive background check performed according to local laws and customs and must own or have access to a motorcycle. Disqualifying events include convictions for domestic violence and child abuse. Other events may disqualify an applicant as determined by the Chapter Board (CB). Once completed the background check is reviewed by the CB for approval. Upon unanimous approval, the applicant is granted Supporter status within the local chapter. Supporters are identified by the small oval worn on the front of their "cut" as local laws allow. As a Supporter an individual is expected and required to attend at least 80% of all mandatory events as well as all other events as available. These events can include court appearances, child rides and monthly meetings and BACA 101. BACA 101 provides training on the Policies and Procedures of the BACA organization.
 

Study done to quantify the results of B.A.C.A. involvement - conclusions:
The results of this study support the intended goal that children experiencing current or past sexual or physical abuse may benefit from BACA intervention strategies. Most research on the benefits of social support has focused on systemic partners including parents, peers, school and church life (Blanchard-Dallaire & Hebert, 2014; Godbout, Briere, Sabourin, & Lussier, 2014; Marriott, Hamilton Giachritsis, & Harrop, 2013). Conversely, grassroots organizations tend to focus on helping its members rather than serving outside populations. BACAis a unique organization in that children who experienced physical and/or sexual abuse were taken in as partners, in an effort to provide them with a unique relational experience which may be unavailable to them in other areas of their lives. Although limited research on this topic exists, the results of the present study may indicate that this type of relational experience often helps an individual re~ain confidence and restores a sense of security in their lives (Holmes et al., 2015; Sabourin Ward, & Haskett, 2007).

BACA's main mission throughout this study was to provide children with an ongoing sense of emotional and physical safety, while fostering them to feel a rejuvenated sense of autonomy and strength. BACA as a non-profit grassroots organization completes a circle of support in conjunction with other agencies. BACA services are not intended to be replacements for direct clinical treatment and other services directed at this population. All participating children and families are advised that BACA members do not fill the role of therapist, police, or vigilante but that they are an organization of bikers who want to help the child feel safe. Although direct services contribute to a child's improvement and decreased behavioral difficulties, the results of this study showed a clinically significant improvement two weeks after intervention in decreasing emotional distress, conduct problems and hyperactive/attentional problems and for overall behavioral problems. This suggests improvements were both immediate and sustained over time. In addition, the scores one year post intervention indicated that as a group, children who participated in BACA intervention maintained improvement in behaviors as well as moving into the average range of concern. The results of this study indicate that the unique and adjunct services of BACA intervention serve as a promising intervention for children who have been abused.

More reading:

• TEDX Talk, How Do Bikers Unite Against Child Abuse and Empower Children?, Bad Bob, July 19, 2018, CLICK HERE

• Fox 5 News Las Vegas, B.A.C.A. by Christine Maddela & Ray Arzate, February 10, 2017, CLICK HERE

• B.A.C.A. common F.A.Q.s, CLICK HERE

• Fraser Valley Chapter contact, CLICK HERE

• Valdosta Daily Times article, Suffer the Little Children: Pinwheels, bikers combat child abuse by Thomas Lynn, March 28, 2019, CLICK HERE