Have You Been 13th Stepped?

This comes from the Leaving AA Website www.leavingaa.com

Have you been 13th Stepped?

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I’m a producer for CBS NEWS. We’re working on a story that focuses on safety issues coming out of contacts made at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.  If you feel you’ve  been harassed or “13thStepped” by someone you met at an AA meeting, I’d like to talk with you. Also, if you discovered that person was “court-mandated” to attend AA, please contact me.   

Please call me at (212) 975-5842,  or email clarkl@cbsnews.com

13 thoughts on “Have You Been 13th Stepped?

  1. The tales of the abuses from members and the court system will shake people into awareness. Would you want to sit next to this guy and his parents at a meeting????

    Google ‘man gets probation for shooting up gardnerville businesses’

  2. What are you dong???? Evidently you have no knowledge of the traditions????
    Tradition 11 – “Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.”

    • Exposing 13 stepping and other sexual assaults like rape by AA members. Just because AA wants to cover up this problem does mean it will not be exposed. AA has been sweeping this under the rug since it’s inception. Bill W. was a notorious 13 stepper and philanderer.

      With all of the courts mandating religious AA and NA meetings has just made this long standing problem even worse. It is time for AA to be rigorously honest and make amends to all it has harmed.

    • As far attraction vs promotion is concerned, that is a joke. NA Daytona is running around putting up posters all over town PROMOTING NA Daytona! AA and NA are going into our schools promoting the 12 steps and inviting them to the same meetings as killers and rapists. Nice going there guys! Who ever thought that was a good idea?

      • Hi Anon…I just cannot get over how much AA and NA promote and then get upset when people speak of them in the press etc.
        I know they are just beside themselves with the more recent negative publicity……it is about time!

    • @LLL: Let’s see, how can I word this politely… how about “Anonymity Be Damned” when people’s lives and safety are on the line!
      And for that popular saying “… when you leave here, be sure it stays here,” that type of so-called anonymity is one of the main reasons why crimes go unreported, tragedies occur, and criminals “get away with” their b.s.

      So whether someone says “A crime was committed against me on Main Street” or “A crime was committed against me in an A.A./N.A. Meeting,” there is no difference.

      • Yes Sunkist that whole what is said here stays here saying is absurd. It helps create the cult behavior in AA and NA. Also what is strange is they keep the crimes to themselves and will not report, but they gossip and go tell everyone what their sponsee confessed etc. I think they thrive internally on the dysfunction, but do little to improve it or report actual crimes.

  3. I am sure they will have to show both sides of the story and that AA will say that there is hardly any problem, but it is the reason that so many people leave. It simply is not a healthy place to and you will be mixing with criminals.
    AA people say you would have mixed with criminals in bars, but that is not always the case and if it were it would be a good reason to get sober.
    I don’t think any AA member with more than a few weeks time could say they have not seen inappropriate behaviour go unchecked such as 13 stepping. I hope they do a good investigation.

    • Well, as for the way they do not take this issue seriously, one example came when I began attending meetings in one particular meetingplace, and an oldtimer escorted me into a room that was attached to the regular meeting room, and said ‘This is where we do the 13th step!’ While he didn’t give me any trouble, I think it shows how they take it as a joke.
      The room was like a freakin’ shrine to BillW- large framed pictures, the books, etc.

      • Just the fact that 13 stepping is actually an AA coined term from long ago also shows it’s pervasive problem and that it is taken lightly by other 12 step members. The guy who took you in the room and said that thought it was funny. Do you think he was trying to test you and see if you were game?

  4. This is fantastic news that AA is going to be exposed even more now by National Media CBS. Unbelievably fantastic news.

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