B4U-ACT
 | |
| Formation | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Michael Melsheimer, Russell Dick |
| Legal status | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Baltimore |
| Location | |
| Russell A. Dick | |
Publication | B4U-ACT Quarterly Review |
| Expenses | $7,000 (in 2008)[1] |
| Website | https://www.b4uact.org/ |
B4U-ACT (lit. 'Before you act') is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Baltimore[1] that works to prevent child sexual abuse by providing resources and treatment for people with minor-attraction.[2][3]
Background
[edit]B4U-ACT was founded in 2003 by Russell Dick and Michael Melsheimer.[4][5] Melsheimer was a former YMCA director that served four years in a federal prison for aggravated sexual assault involving children and Dick a former director of social work of the Springfield Hospital Center.[5]
B4U-ACT aims to connect people attracted to minors with mental health resources, including empirical research on minor-attraction, peer support groups, and therapists trained in working with the minor-attracted population.[6][7] Since 2021, the organization has published a quarterly journal collecting reviews of current research relevant to minor attraction.[8]As of 2008, the organization had approximately 25 members.[1]
During the development of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), B4U-ACT criticized the proposal of the American Psychiatric Association's Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Work Group regarding the inclusion of hebephilia as a subtype of pedophilia in the DSM-5.[1]
In October 2022, a member of transgender charity group Mermaids resigned from office after it was reported that he had spoken at a 2011 event organized by B4U-ACT.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Johnson, Rebecca A.; Barrett, Marna S.; Sisti, Dominic A. (2013). "The Ethical Boundaries of Patient and Advocate Influence on DSM-5". Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 21 (6): 334–344. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000010. ISSN 1067-3229.
- ^ Christiansen, Candice; Martinez-Dettamanti, Meg (2018), Lievesley, Rebecca; Hocken, Kerensa; Elliott, Helen; Winder, Belinda (eds.), "Prevention in Action: Exploring Prevention Initiatives and Current Practices", Sexual Crime and Prevention, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 27–56, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-98243-4_2, ISBN 978-3-319-98242-7, retrieved 2023-10-31
- ^ Tereszcuk, Alexis (2023-05-11). "Fact Check: NO Evidence Pastel Rainbow 'MAP' Flag Signifies Normalizing Pedophilia". Lead Stories. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ a b "Another shocking scandal at Mermaids". Spiked. 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ a b Bleyer, Jennifer (2012-09-24). "How Can We Stop Pedophiles?". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ https://www.b4uact.org/about-us/
- ^ Cohen, Lisa J.; Ndukwe, Nwayieze; Siegfried, Rachel; Kopeykina, Irina; Yaseen, Zimri S.; Galynker, Igor (2018). "Attraction Versus Action in Pedophilic Desire: The Role of Personality Traits and Childhood Experience". Journal of Psychiatric Practice. 24 (6): 374–387. doi:10.1097/PRA.0000000000000348. ISSN 1538-1145.
- ^ https://www.b4uact.org/b4qr/