Some minor-attracted people would like to receive mental health services but are afraid to do so because of a lack of trust and understanding between minor-attracted people and mental health professionals. Communication between the two groups helps develop the mutual understanding and trust necessary for such services to become more widely available.
In addition, mental health professionals frequently make statements that influence public perceptions and policies regarding minor-attracted people. These statements need to be informed by accurate, first-hand knowledge about minor-attracted people, especially about those who do not violate the law or otherwise come to the attention of professionals and the public.
Yes. We realize that for some, believing this can be a challenge. Part of our purpose is to provide you, if necessary, with tools for finding out for yourself how to do this.
Like any population, minor-attracted people may seek mental health services for a wide variety of reasons. These may be related to their sexuality, or if these issues are unrelated, they may still feel the need to discuss them in the context of their sexuality without being judged or rejected. Some minor-attracted people deal with depression, anxiety or other conditions that are found among all populations. Some seek services to help them deal with issues resulting from society’s negative reactions to their sexual feelings. Others seek assistance and support in developing fulfilling lives and relationships while living within the law.
We realize that some minor-attracted people have had very negative experiences with therapists who did not understand them, did not value their mental health needs, or saw them only as potential criminals. We also recognize that some professionals and professional organizations have made statements that severely stigmatize or stereotype minor-attracted people. However, there are also minor-attracted people who have gotten to know, or have received therapy from, professionals who reject stereotypes, who are compassionate and respectful, who are dedicated to the mental health of their minor-attracted clients, and who are open to learning more. B4U-ACT is in dialogue with such professionals.
No. Our goal is to make services available to minor-attracted people who want them, whether to work through issues unrelated to their sexuality, to deal with society’s response to their sexual feelings, or to develop satisfying and productive lives while living within the law. We do not advocate treatment attempting to change sexual feelings.
In the United States (where B4U-ACT is based), laws do not require the reporting of sexual feelings and desires. They require only that therapists report illegal sexual behavior, suspicions of such behavior, or plans to engage in such behavior.
We recognize that some therapists who do not understand reporting laws may over-report (e.g., report a person who has thoughts, feelings, and fantasies about minors) due to fear of the loss of their license due to failure to report. For this reason, we vet therapists on their understanding of reporting laws, and include sections on confidentiality in our Principles and Perspectives of Practice and Psychotherapy Guide. Therapists who have an understanding of attraction to minors realize that being attracted to children or adolescents is not equivalent to planning or engaging in illegal behavior.
B4U-ACT maintains a list of mental health professionals who state that they abide by our principles and guidelines for therapy, and may be able to connect you with professionals in your area. However, this list is not comprehensive of all countries, states, or regions.
We have also published our Principles and Perspective of Practice as well as a list of questions you can discuss with a potential therapist to help you decide whether that therapist is right for you. We hope that these resources can help empower minor-attracted people to find mental health professionals who are able to meet their needs.
We are a collaborative effort of mental health professionals and minor-attracted people. Our board of directors and volunteer staff consist of members of both groups as well as researchers and laypeople.
B4U-ACT provides resources to researchers aiming to develop understanding of MAPs and promote their mental health, including research consultation, assistance with recruitment, and the B4U-ACT Quarterly Review Journal. We also publish our guidelines for therapy and maintain a list of mental health professionals who become signatories to those guidelines, in order to connect MAPs searching for therapy with compassionate, effective care.
Beyond that, B4U-ACT’s activities include running peer support groups for MAPs and for their family members and friends, speaking at conferences and in class settings to professionals and university students in psychology, social work, and human sexuality, and organizing conferences and other events aimed at professionals, researchers, educators, university students, and minor-attracted people.
We are always looking for volunteers with skills related to the work we do. You can also support us financially, or by sharing information about our activities and perspectives with others.
If you are interested in supporting us in our mission, please contact us so we can learn more about you and your interest in our work.
No, we do not provide expert witnesses or other legal defense services. Our work is limited to the objectives outlined in our mission statement.