WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MaleSurvivor, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to overcoming sexual victimization of boys and men will bring its national Dare to Dream program to Berkeley, California, on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at JFKU Berkeley Campus (2nd Floor, Room L7). The program, developed in response to “The Oprah Winfrey Show” highlighting male sexual abuse, will focus on bringing a message of hope and healing while offering support for abuse survivors in several local markets.
Dare to Dream will provide male survivors with a safe and comfortable environment to join others in lifting the veil of secrecy and shame from their experience. The program will feature clips from Emmy-nominated “The Oprah Winfrey Show” segments, a facilitated panel discussion, and an opportunity to learn about local resources and support groups.
The Berkeley program will be co-facilitated by local Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Bill Burmester (M.A., M.F.T.) and internationally recognized MaleSurvivor spokesperson, Dr. Howard Fradkin.
According to MaleSurvivor:
- It is estimated that 1 in 6 men were sexually abused as children. This statistic increases to 1 in 4 men if sexual abuse done by someone who does not actually have physical contact is included.
- Most men NEVER talk about their abuse because boys are socially taught they should withstand emotional and physical pain without complaining.
- Most adult males that were abused, report having difficulty with intimate relationships because their ability to trust others has been damaged, often by people who told them they cared about them.
- For many men, their abuse leads to sexual orientation confusion, sexual dysfunctions, and difficulty believing it is possible to combine sex with love.
- Most men NEVER talk about their abuse because of extreme shame, because they believe it was their fault, and because they learned men are supposed to be strong and should never need help
- Although the number of therapists in the world who specialize in treating male sexual abuse survivors has been increasing as organizations such as MaleSurvivor offering resources and education, the number needed to adequately treat this population is vastly underrepresented.
For more information about male sexual victimization, or to learn more about MaleSurvivor’s Dare to Dream program, visit: http://www.malesurvivor.org/dare-to-dream.html
About MaleSurvivor
MaleSurvior (www.MaleSurvivor.org) is not-for-profit organization committed to preventing, healing, and eliminating all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men through support, treatment, research, education, advocacy, and activism. Founded in 1994, the organization has reached over 50 million individuals whose lives have been forever impacted by sexual abuse.