March 2006

Secret Keepers in the News

by John Prin
Addiction Counselor
WARNING: The Internet is a cesspool for Secret Keepers. That's right. Our kids are prey to the ever-growing legion of stalkers and sexual predators who utilize the Internet's capability to provide anonymity.

No other venue allows such wide open access to unwitting victims, like our children, from scam artists and anyone faking an identity or living a double life. Just go online to dateline.msnbc.com or perverted-justice.com to learn about how many "regular folks" use chat rooms like MySpace.com to seduce kids and endanger the gullible.

Although millions of Secret Keepers never break the law or violate others (see Category #3 of Continuum of Secrets), some do eventually cross the line into crime (see Category #4). USA Today* writes about the rash of crimes made easier by web sites such as the 55-million member MySpace.com: "Teens who have been warned all their lives to beware of strangers online are now regularly posting their cell-phone numbers, school names and other personal information, as well as sexy pictures of themselves, on these sites."

That spells disaster. In my neighborhood, my local newspaper** reported that convicted sex offender Ronald Abshire admitted having sex several times in a motel with a 15 year-old girl he'd "met" on MySpace. Abshire told police he knew she was under-age.

Do you know a Secret Keeper in your life (see Profile of a Secret Keeper) who misuses the Internet? What can you do?

Email John Prin your thoughts.

You can also reach me at 952-941-1870 or read my books, Stolen Hours: Breaking Free From Secret Addictions. and the sequel, Secret Keeping: Overcoming Hidden Habits and Addictions.

* USA Today, Feb 13, 2006, page 6D
** StarTribune, Feb 16, 2006, page B5