Now go in and tell your story🙏

For a child who has been abused, one of the hardest parts of the whole ordeal can come long after the abuse itself, when they're called to a courtroom and asked to testify with the accused sitting just a few feet away.

In Arizona and in many other states, some of those children now walk into court surrounded by a group of large, leather-clad motorcycle riders. The volunteers belong to organizations such as Bikers Against Child Abuse, founded in Utah in 1995, which work alongside law enforcement, prosecutors and child advocates once a case is already in the legal system.

The bikers escort the child to hearings, sit behind them in the gallery and stay close through the proceedings, and some chapters promise to be available whenever the child feels afraid. Members go through background checks and training, and they're explicit that they don't confront or threaten anyone, since their role is simply to make sure the child doesn't feel alone.

The effect on a frightened kid can be striking, because the same imposing presence that might make a stranger nervous becomes, for that child, a wall of people who are there for them alone. Many riders stay in touch with the families long after the case has ended.

#terriblyinteresting