Dr. Andrea Anthony is more than an advocate — she’s a force for change. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, she turned her pain into purpose, dedicating her life to preventing abuse and empowering families to protect their children. Through her expertise in education, counseling, and coaching, she has become a leading voice in the fight for child safety. As the founder of Guarded Wings Promise, Dr. Anthony works tirelessly to educate communities, equip parents, and break generational cycles of silence. Her mission is clear: to ensure that no child endures the trauma she once faced.
Your journey as both a survivor and advocate is incredibly inspiring. What was the turning point that motivated you to dedicate your life to preventing childhood sexual abuse?
Dr. Andrea Anthony: Thanks for asking. The turning point that motivated me to dedicate my life to preventing childhood sexual abuse was the moment I realized that silence was not an option. As a survivor, I carried the weight of my experience for years, trying to navigate through the pain, shame, and all the unanswered questions I had formulated in my mind. At an early age before entering high school, I took on the role of looking out after my younger family members. It was intentional. In my mind, I was their protector even though they didn’t know I was. But when I learned that I was going to be a mother, everything shifted. I saw the world through my unborn child’s eyes, and I knew I had to do everything in my power to protect her from experiencing what I had endured.
As I got older, I realized that my healing was not just for me but for my own child and every child that was a part of my life. I made a conscious decision to break the cycle, to be bolder than I ever had been, speak where people had been silent, to be purposeful to educate where there had been ignorance, and to empower families to safeguard their children.
The more I spoke out, the more I saw how deeply this issue affected others, especially in my own family. I wasn’t the only one in my family who had experienced this, even though that was what I thought. I began to talk to many survivors who had never found their voice and began to discover that many families lacked the knowledge to protect their children. That realization fueled my mission to create Guarded Wings Promise, not just as an organization but as a movement. A movement where survivors reclaim their power, parents become proactive, and children grow up safe, loved, and unburdened by the trauma so many of us had to endure.
This work is personal for me. It’s also necessary. And it will continue, ONE CHILD, ONE FAMILY AND ONE COMMUNITY at a time.
Guarded Wings Promise is a powerful initiative. What inspired its creation, and what do you hope it achieves in the long term?
Dr. Andrea Anthony: Great question. Guarded Wings Promise was born out of both pain and purpose with a deep understanding of the devastation caused by childhood sexual abuse and with an unwavering intentional commitment of breaking the cycle and silence for future generations. As a survivor, I know firsthand the lifelong impact of abuse. As a mother, I felt a profound responsibility to ensure that my child would be protected in ways I was not.
The inspiration for this initiative came from the realization that prevention must start within our own families. Too often, we rely on schools, recreational facilities, and childcare facilities to keep children safe, but the truth is, safeguarding begins in the home. Families need to be educated, and given the tools, and courage to have the difficult but necessary conversations that protect their children. Families need to be empowered to call out the family sexual predators that have gone unchecked for years.
In the long term, I hope Guarded Wings Promise is designed to create a cultural shift, where speaking about child protection is as natural as teaching a child to look both ways before crossing the street. I want to see families empowered, survivors healed, and communities committed to taking proactive preventative steps rather than reactive responses. My vision is that one day, every family will have a Guarded Wings Ambassador ensuring that no child is left vulnerable in their families and community.
Can you share a story or experience from your work that highlights the importance of the mission and its impact on a child, family, or community?
Dr. Andrea Anthony: Thanks for this opportunity to share. I was invited to speak on a panel for a Women’s Tea for Mother’s Day at a local church. I shared my personal story and made it relevant to an event in the bible about sexual abuse. I also used scripture-based information to share with the attendees. After all the panelists were finished, the host opened for questions. Question after question was directed to me. That was an indicator to me that what I said resonated with most of the audience. To make a long story short, an older lady lashed out at me because she didn’t like something I said. Her daughter spoke out and defended me because she could relate to my reasoning behind my actions. At that point, the daughter began to cry and told all of us why she was crying. She had been sexually abused and her mother didn’t protect her nor did when believe her. I had to come off the stage like Iyanla Vanzant and created a fix my life episode. I was able to get them to talk without yelling. Moments later another younger lady began to cry, it was the daughter of the daughter. Three generations in the same room of childhood trauma.
The woman that lashed out at me was angry with her daughter for waiting until she was an adult to tell her she had been sexually abused as a child. The daughter didn’t feel supported by her mother, and the granddaughter didn’t feel supported by her mother. After the event, I had some coaching sessions with the daughter who defended me. She began implementing some action items we discussed and began counseling. I lost contact. I found out mid last year that the mother, daughter and granddaughter are closer than ever and are supporting one another in their personal growth.
Your work emphasizes prevention through education. What are some of the key misconceptions people have about childhood sexual abuse, and how can education help dismantle them?
Dr. Andrea Anthony: Great question. One of the biggest challenges in preventing childhood sexual abuse is are the misconceptions which allows predators to operate in silence. Education is the key to dismantling these harmful beliefs and empowering families to act. I’ll share a few common misconceptions.
Stranger Danger! How often did we hear that growing up? We were taught that strangers are the biggest threat. Well, research informs us that 90% of childhood sexual abuse cases involve someone the child knows and trusts, which can be a family member, close friend, or an authority figure. Education will help parents and caregivers understand that safeguarding children requires them to be vigilant within their own families and their trusted circles, not just from strangers alone.
Another misconception is that children will always tell someone if they’re being abused. Research tells us that 60% of sexual abuse victims never tell. Children stay silent due to fear, shame, confusion, or even loyalty to the abuser. Education will teach families about the statistics, how to create safe, open spaces where children feel empowered to speak up without fear of punishment or disbelief.
There is a great deal of people who believe that child sexual abuse only happens in certain families or communities. Unfortunately, childhood sexual abuse affects all races, socioeconomic backgrounds, and cultures. No family or community is immune or exempt. Education will help pull the blinders off to remove the stigma and encourages proactive prevention rather than reactive responses.
Parents are confused when it comes to teaching children about body safety. When is too much, or too soon? I’m here to inform everyone that age-appropriate conversations and age-appropriate language about body safety are essential from a very early age. In my opinion, it should start as soon as they come out of the womb. Think about this, we are talking to our children while they are in the womb and/or exposing them to all forms of communication through the television, phone conversations, chatter from strangers when we are out into the community. My motto as a parent was to be the first to have the first conversation about everything with my child first. When children understand their rights over their bodies, they are less likely to become victims and more likely to report inappropriate behavior.
Lastly, it is said that if there are no physical signs, nothing happened. Abuse isn’t always physical. There is emotional manipulation, grooming, and coercion which can cause just as much harm. Education helps parents recognize behavioral changes and emotional distress as potential warning signs.
For parents, caregivers, and educators, what are the most crucial warning signs of abuse that they should be aware of?
Dr. Andrea Anthony: This is a very important question. Recognizing warning signs can be a matter of immediate actions to prevent sexual abuse. The warning signs can be behavioral, emotional, or physical signs, such as bedwetting, thumb-sucking, or other behaviors they had previously outgrown, nightmares, trouble sleeping, or fear of being left alone at night, sudden decline in confidence, excessive guilt, self-harming behaviors, or talk of suicide should never be ignored. These are signs of distress and swift action is strongly recommended.
Establishing boundaries is an essential aspect of prevention. How do you recommend families and communities create and reinforce these boundaries effectively?
Dr. Andrea Anthony: First and foremost, educate yourselves and the entire family. If any family member shows signs of resistance to learning about protecting children, that is a red flag for me. Someone in the family must take the lead, like a Guarded Wings Ambassador. Creating a safety plan is essential as well. Also, it is recommended that before putting your child in a childcare facility, ask questions and visit the facility multiple times. You want to request to review their safety plan. You want to know about the staff and how often they conduct background checks and train them. Ultimately, you want to continue to talk about protecting your child very frequently.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your advocacy work, and how have you overcome them?
Dr. Andrea Anthony: Thanks for asking. Advocacy work, especially in the fight against childhood sexual abuse, comes with multiple challenges, but my commitment to this mission keeps me pushing forward. Some of the biggest obstacles I’ve faced includes, getting people to talk about childhood sexual abuse in the first place. Many families and communities see this issue as taboo, making it difficult for open and honest conversations.
Another challenge is that people deny the reality of abuse or believe that certain protective measures are unnecessary and just doing too much. Whether it’s families, institutions, or religious organizations, not everyone is ready to face the hard truths about abuse.
The way that I overcome the challenges is by trying to meet people where they are by presenting information in ways that resonates with them. I use data, personal stories, survivor testimonies and I collaborate with faith-based leaders and organizations to join me in outreach and education.
Despite the challenges, I realize that this work is bigger than me. It’s about changing the stats, one child, one family and one community at a time. Patience and hard work are the keys no matter how hard the road gets. 
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to make a difference in their community but doesn’t know where to start?
Dr. Andrea Anthony: Thanks for allowing me to offer advice. If you are someone who feels that you are called to make a difference, start in your own family. Solicit 2 or 3 family members who would like to join you in protecting the children in the family. Before you take any action, educate yourself first on the issue. Read books, attend a couple of trainings, listen to experts and speak to someone you know that is a survivor. Knowledge will give you the confidence to lead. You can host a small discussion with a few people, and/or volunteer at a local organization that is already doing the work. Making a difference doesn’t happen overnight. You will become discouraged and meet obstacles. Stay committed and remember why you wanted to make a difference. What you do, big or small, will be a ripple effect.
How can people get involved with Guarded Wings Promise and support your mission?
Dr. Andrea Anthony: Great question and thank you for allowing me to share the ways to get involved and support us. For anyone interested in supporting the mission of Guarded Wings Promise, there are many meaningful ways to get involved.
You can:
Become a Guarded Wings Ambassador by completing our training and becoming an advocate within your own family and community.
Volunteer your time will make a difference. Whether it is a short commitment at our community events, training sessions, or a long-term commitment to assist with administrative support. We need passionate individuals.
We accept financial contributions to help us provide essential training, resources, and support for families committed to safeguarding their children. Sponsoring a family is another way to ensure they receive the education and tools needed to protect their children.
You can use your voice. We need foot soldiers to spread awareness. Share our mission on social media, host community discussions, or invite us to speak to your family, in schools, churches, and organizations.
We need organizations to partner with us. Businesses, churches, and organizations can collaborate with us to expand our reach and provide more families with access to life-saving resources.
Please visit our website at Guardedwingspromise.com, follow us on social media @guardedwingspromise, or reach out directly — we need you in this movement to protect our children! ONE CHILD, ONE FAMILY AND ONE COMMUNITY at a time.
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