The STOPLight

Frank Barnaba: Crusader for kids

Sexual abuse and exploitation of children pornography, prostitution, etc.) is increasing at an alarming pace. April 30, May 1 and 2,1992. Frank Barnaba and several staff members of his Paul & Lisa program visited theTwin Cities at the invitation of the S.TO.P. Committee. The purpose is to explore whet her his programs of preventive education and rehabilitation could be seeded in the Midwest. The next issue of STOP Light will feature their presentations and the response of those who participated. The S.T.O.P. Committee is planning a major seminar for October of this year with Barnaba as the keynote speaker if enough interest is shown and funding can be secured. Please use the coupon on page 7 to indicate your support. Following are quotes from various sources about Barnaba and his Paul and Lisa program.

"The greatest obstacles to preventing the crime of child abuse are the number of myths enshrouding it. Perhaps the most common of these is the notion that the child abuser is a dirty old man. Although current research shows about 95% of pedophiles, or child molesters, are indeed men, the median age of offenders is about 31. Even more confounding is the myth that sex offenders, particularly those involved in incestuous relationships, live in extremely rural areas and that they are usually impoverished. But known pedophiles come from cities and suburbs as well as rural locales, and they come from every socio-economic group, including educated professionals.

"Yet another myth is that of the child molester as a stranger. In fact, the converse seems to be the rule. The majority of incidents occur with adults that the children are taught to trust. These types of relationships are often the most damaging..."

— quoted from a 1985 Pictorial newspaper interview with Carol Pyrtel, then executive director of Paul & Lisa

"When the Paul & Lisa program began, Barnabe tried to work with youths he met on the streets. "But now we work mainly through referrals," he said. "I try to gain the kids confidence, to boost their self-worth."

But it's up to them. If they want to get off the street, we can help. If they're still living at home and working as prostitutes we'll try to head them off. If they're already runaways, we can get them into a shelter or a host home."

—from a recent article in The New York Times

"Barnaba has always clung to one unnervingly simple philosophy: Give these sexually abused children trust and love no matter how much they curse you; after a few days or months or years, eventually they will come around.

"Child prostitution has managed to become one of the most stable and profitable growth industries in Manhattan. It thrives, unaffected by swings in the economy, bad weather, police crackdowns, or inflation."

—from an article by Mark Stuart Gill in Business Month, June 1990

"There's no secret to what I do. I don't have a fancy 12-step program to gain kids' confidence and reform them. I just have one step: be there for the children and help them take control of their own lives. Ultimately they have to save themselves."

—from "Savior on the Streets," a 1991 Reader's Digest article

In 2002 our organization changed its name to Adults Saving Kids. Prior to that we were called A-STOP (Alliance for Speaking Truths On Prostitution), STOP (Speaking Truths On Prostitution), or Grassroots Ministry Alliance.