Link to Change, a Bedford-based charity, is doing impressive work on the front lines of the fight against exploitation of young people. Their success rate is a staggering 98%, assisting people fleeing abuse with getting them out safely. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Hayley Brown, the organization provides crucial support services to youths aged seven to 26, focusing on four primary areas of exploitation: sexual, criminal, online, and financial.
Brown also stresses that it is essential to be proactive about the risks that arise from being online. “At some point, every child will have contact with a stranger online,” she states, highlighting a reality that parents need to acknowledge. Now the mother of a 13-year-old herself, Brown says that it’s about finding the right balance between trust and vigilance. She notes, “There’s an element of needing to trust my child but being able to know and monitor what they are doing.”
Link to Change has been running for 20 years. Today, it is under duress, with a wait list of over two years and a capacity limit. Brown points out, “We are at a point where our waiting list is so high, we’re having a battle with our capacity.” This unfortunate reality highlights the increasing demand for their services, as more young people than ever are reaching out for support.
The organization gives their support in many different forms. You can sign up for sessions hosted with a group or get more personal help in its central Bedford offices. Clients are referred by community-based organizations and institutions, including police departments, schools, and self-referring parents. In Brown’s defense, he accepts much of MAP’s success with humility and honesty. She doesn’t think the community is as familiar with its work as it should be. “There needs to be more around what we are doing in society,” she asserts.
Brown’s perspective on some of the myriad difficulties you youth are up against is harrowing. Others are afraid to report instances of exploitation because they risk retaliation for such complaints. So many young people are afraid to go report something that’s happened to them because they’re afraid of the repercussions that they’re going to get themselves in. She continues, “It’s not the young person’s fault,” she clarifies. This sentiment resonates with the charity’s mission: to provide a safe space for young people to seek help without fear of judgment or blame.
In describing the difficult and dangerous dance between technology and young people, Brown identifies a generational divide that further complicates such anti-racist work. “We can blame the social media companies, what we have is a generational gap around young people, technology that they are using and parents’ knowledge and understanding around that,” she observes. This gap results in misinformed perceptions of online safety and influences youth decisions.
Watchdog organizations like Brown’s urge grown-ups to create environments in which young people can communicate freely about their online activities. “It’s about being able to have those conversations with young people and make them aware of what’s happening,” she says. Her outlook is shared among the other advocates we’ve spoken with. They focus on the importance of developing trusting interactions between adults and youth in order to initiate dialogues about possible risks.
The reach of Link to Change can be seen through the stories of their clients. One individual, Sophie, shared her journey, stating, “They helped me to understand what had happened to me – it wasn’t my fault.” She added that the support she received was invaluable for addressing exploitation and for building confidence and improving mental health.
“Their support helped not only with the exploitation but to be able to build my confidence and self-esteem and my mental health struggles,” Sophie remarked. These testimonials illustrate the critical role that organizations like Link to Change play in the lives of our nation’s most vulnerable young people. Because they really improve their lives.
Today, Link to Change is continuing to aggressively advance its mission. At the same time, Brown is committed to combating online exploitation through public education and delivering critical victim support services. She’s an outspoken advocate that bringing these issues to light needs the help of everyone — parents, educators, and residents — to bring change.
