B4U-ACT
| Formation | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Michael Melsheimer, Russell Dick |
| Legal status | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Baltimore |
| Location | |
| Russell A. Dick | |
| 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 potential sexual offenders.[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]
The organization's activities have included connecting mental health professionals to people under the risk of committing sexual offenses, as well as providing mental health resources of their own to such people.[6][2][7] 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]
B4U-ACT has been criticized for its euphemistic language regarding pedophilia, using the term "MAPs" instead of pedophile.[8][9] 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][7]
Since January 2021 they publish the Peer-reviewed journal B4U-ACT Quarterly Review.
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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Bannerman, Lucy (2023-10-31). "Trustee of the transgender charity Mermaids quits after speech to paedophile aid group". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ Naude, Alaric (2021). "A Case Study via Sociolinguistic Analysis of Covert Pro-Paedophilia Organisation Registered as a Child Protection Charity and its links to Paedophilia Enablers in Academia and Academic Propaganda" (PDF). The Public Insight.
- ^ "Professor's redefinition of pedophilia could help offenders demand rights". 2022-01-01. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
