Meet Mike, Creator of Guy & Cesar.
The Roots of Guy & Cesar: A Personal Journey
From a very young age, neglect and abuse were constants in my life, leading me to create Guy & Cesar with a passion for Proactive Child Protection. This photo of me as a child is a poignant reminder of the innocence overshadowed by the turmoil I faced. Around the age of 8 or 9, my mother and stepfather nearly took my life. Afterward, I attended various boarding schools, where I continued to face significant challenges. I struggled to hold down a job and frequently clashed with the police, feeling a deep sense of anger and resentment. I blamed myself for everything that happened, not seeing myself as a victim but rather feeling quite hopeless.
Bottling Up the Pain
Despite numerous attempts to reach out and talk about my experiences, I was often misunderstood and not believed. This led me to bottle up my past. My life took a significant turn when the police approached me about allegations of abuse at a school I attended. Initially, I denied any knowledge. However, with gentle encouragement, I began to reveal incidents I had assumed were normal. This led to a ten-year legal battle involving over 300 initial complainants. It culminated in just myself fighting alone in the High Courts of Justice in the United Kingdom. Despite some teachers and staff being jailed, the resolution left me feeling dismissed and unsupported, with no counseling or guidance offered to help rebuild my life.
For more information on legal battles involving child protection, you can visit the UK’s NSPCC’s page on Child Protection and Law. Also you can visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway – Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention in the United States. To explore similar stories, consider watching the Netflix documentary “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez”.
From Survivor to Advocate
It’s crucial to emphasize that I never saw myself as a victim—only a survivor. But I grew weary of merely surviving; I wanted to truly live.
Years later, I found myself working in anti-piracy, a job where I was constantly reacting to threats rather than proactively addressing them. This reactive nature of my work highlighted a critical flaw in the system: the absence of proactive measures to prevent issues before they escalate. This realization fueled my determination to create Guy & Cesar, focusing on Proactive Child Protection.
The Birth of Guy & Cesar
Guy & Cesar was born out of a desire to fill the gaps I experienced firsthand. Our mission is to act before reacting, providing resources that empower trusted adults—not just experts—to protect children. Our first book, “Stranger Danger,” exemplifies this approach. Accompanied by a comprehensive toolkit, it educates children on recognizing and responding to dangerous situations before they occur. By completing and recording the outcomes of reading sessions, adults can protect both the child and themselves, fostering understanding and communication in a safe, friendly manner.
Explore more insights and strategies for child protection on our Blog page.
Empowering Trusted Adults
Our unique approach equips any adult to discuss challenging topics with children, from neglect and abuse to understanding social issues like LGBTQ, racism, and bullying. By providing these Child Protection Tools, we aim to prevent the systemic failures evident in cases like USA Gymnastics and the Boy Scouts of America, where bureaucracy and blame-shifting have allowed abuse to persist. For instance, USA Gymnastics faced over 500 allegations of sexual abuse, and the Boy Scouts of America had more than 82,000 individual complaints. Yet, both organizations continue to operate due to bureaucratic protections.
Learn more about these failures from a comprehensive article by The Guardian on the USA Gymnastics Scandal and NPR’s report on the Boy Scouts of America abuse cases. You might also find the Netflix documentary “Athlete A” insightful, as it delves into the USA Gymnastics scandal.
Check out our blog for more insights on child protection and proactive strategies.
Proactive Action: Making a Real Difference
Imagine if the trusted adults in Gabriel Fernandez’s life had access to our Child Protection Books and tools. The tragic outcome might have been different. At Guy & Cesar, we believe in the power of proactive education to make a real difference. For me, it’s also been a long time since I actually felt proud of something that I am doing and emotionally invested, completely.
Join Our Mission
Today, as a passionate child advocate, I bring no special qualifications—only a deep commitment to making a difference, plus real experience and understanding of these issues. I invite you to subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on the latest child protection strategies and tools. If you’re interested in collaborating or have any questions, contact us directly—we’re always eager to connect with like-minded individuals who are committed to creating a safer world for our children.
Subscribe to our newsletter below and contact us to get involved.
Join our blog, subscribe to our newsletter, or reach out for collaboration. Let’s take action before reaction! Because reaction is always second place. And when dealing with children, that is not good enough.
Mike
