The only message I got as a child came from my abusers and that was to stay silent or else, she said. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. "(It) brings me back to remembering being six-years-old being abused. It would have given me courage to know that I didn't have to live in constant fear that they could hurt me, and hurt me even worse if I told anyone. Soon it was no longer our secret and I was behind a different closed door not the one to a bedroom, a bathroom, basement, or closet but this time into a colorful room with a small table and bright light shinning through the skylight. There was one good thing about my sister coming forward, she said. The reality is, 93 percent of the time it is not strangers that are hurting kids. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. Erins Law has now going international with judge in Kerala India requiring Erins Law in the 2023-2024 school year. But what followed was depression,an eating disorder and a suicide attempt. She is dedicated to taking the stigma and shame away from sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage to speak up as she has. In 2009 Texas passed a similar law but it was only a task force which did not mandate students be taught personal body safety, making Illinois the first state to require personal body safety education by law. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. When people ask how I have overcome all that I have and doing what I am doing now, passing Erin's Law in 11 states, 26 introducing it and going to each capital to testify on it, I tell them all of this comes from our creator. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. Look out for motels that might house sex offenders. Erin wrote that letter. A place I went to with my eleven year old sister and mother. How I wondered am I suppose to tell this stranger my pain when I am too ashamed to even talk in detail with my parents about it. www.accessonline.com/videos/ellen-degeneres-gives-internet-famous-cat-a-call-in-quarantine, www.rainn.org/news/president-signs-measures-support-state-action-prevent-and-address-child-sexual-abuse, www.accessonline.com/videos/ellen-degeneres-gives-internet-famous-cat-a-call-in-quarantine. Children are taught that the police are their to keep their communities safe and lock up the bad people. She was honored for her efforts in 2012 as one of Glamour Magazines 2012 Women of the Year. She has made it her mission in life to get this legislation passed in all 50 states. I sat next to a woman who I had just met moments earlier in the waiting room with my sister and mom. Alaska Dispatch: You have since spoken up in a big way. The cousin used the same tactic as her first abuser telling her no one would believe her and there was no proof. Again, she was told to keep quiet, that no one would believe her if she said anything and that she had no proof. Putting the lives of children in danger and possibly taking their innocence is worth it? He got us quiet and continued to get away with it. Erin says she believes everyone is born with a purpose and she has found hers through the events that have occurred in her life. ", Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. Merryn is a national spokesperson for the National Children's Alliance, becoming the first survivor of child sexual abuse that went through a Children's Advocacy Center to speak on national television about her experience.[1]. The abuse continued until she was almost 9. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) During her quest,. Usually, the abuse isnt at the hands of a stranger, rather someone they know and trust. The center provided me a safe place to connect with people who understood unlike my friends in school who did not understand what I had gone through. Sponsored by Rep. Geran Tarr, D-Anchorage, HB 233 puts Alaska among the states considering "Erin's Law" in 2014. Partly cloudy. Alaska Dispatch: Thank you for reminding us that abuse happens across all socioeconomic conditions. The ability to forgive both my abusers set me free and gave me my voice back and the strength to speak out for others. Eleven states have passed the legislation. In 2013, Governor Quinn signed it into law requiring Illinois schools to teach it every single year. My mission, through this legislation, is to educate children on what I never learned. Merryn advocates for sexual abuse victims. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. You seem incredibly resilient. The woman behind the bill, Erin Merryn visited Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square on Friday, making it [] CENTRAL SQUARE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) Erin's Law its now in 37 states . She told them that, growing up in Illinois, she had experienced tornado drills, fire drills and bus drills; was taught about stranger danger and eight ways to say no to drugs through D.A.R.E., but no one ever taught her how to protect herself from sexual abuse and what to do if a family member or friend molested or raped her. But her nightmare was just beginning. This representative did get on her mic. My sister and I were the only girls that he was around all the time. Erins ongoing abuse with her friends uncle was over. Buccos bill requires all school districts to incorporate age-appropriate sexual abuse awareness and prevention education in grades preschool through 12 as part of Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. It brings it all back to the surface. After describing the difference between the truth and a lie I was asked if I agreed to tell the truth that day. Two against one, somebody had to believe us.. Merryn believes more can be done to ensure children also learn how learn how to protect themselves from sexual predators. Merryn: There is so much shame and stigma attached to sexual abuse. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. Erin's Law, which debuted in Illinois, is now in 37 states and mandates that public schools teach age-appropriate sex abuse prevention to grades as young as pre-K. Merryn said those lessons on . She knew exactly what she was doing by asking simple questions on my life, friends, what I did for fun, and my family. Erin Merryn (Author) Format: Kindle Edition See all formats and editions Kindle $12.99 Read with Our Free App Paperback $16.10 35 Used from $2.70 5 New from $12.50 Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. "Erin Merryn's Law," a bill that will create a task force to study child sexual abuse in West Virginia, passed the state Senate unanimously on Monday. Her older cousin sexually abused her from 11-13 years old. Did you ever wonder, or ever ask him, why he did what he did? Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I met my best friend in kindergarten. These can seem like powerful forces to go up against. Pat Quinn on Thursday signed a new law extending sexual abuse education in Illinois schools. You didn't just tell one person. I think he knew that once he had us conditioned, we were easy targets. Erin has spoken at over 250 CAC events.In 2008 she began writing legislators to require personal body safety be taught to kids in school. Erins Law is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Merryn saidif parents are not comfortable, the bill allows parents toopt their kids out of the education. So far 27 states have passed Erins Law since 2010. My mom was a mess, that day she probably cried for 10 straight hours, looking at my dad saying, we missed all the red flags, her grades, she was depressed, Erin recalled. Visit sheriffalerts.com to find out if there are sex offenders in your area. Buccos legislation has received support from prominent victims rights advocates and support organizations, including Morris County advocate Richard Pompelio; and Patrice Lenowitz, founder and executive director of The Nurtured Parent Support Group for Survivors of Domestic Abuse, a Bergen County organization serving survivors and protective parents across the state. Forgiveness set me free. Children learn all kinds of safety lessons in schools, like how to deal with natural disasters, fires and strangers. Around the time we were getting ready to move away, my friend had a birthday party. Gov. We've had an unprecedented change for our Gingerbread House Partners in Prevention 2021 Luncheon and we couldn't be more excited! Through her speeches and books, Erin is an inspiration to professionals working daily to fight child abuse. Call it what it is: penis and vagina.. Read more about Erin Merryn on her Erin's Law Facebook page and her website. Wow, I have a decision to make. Alaska Dispatch: Do you think most lawmakers meaningfully comprehend the issue of sexual abuse? I was a senior in high school when I published my first book, my childhood diary where I kept my secrets of abuse with my cousin locked away. (Read why most child abuse goes unreported). How do you identify? Sunshine and a few clouds. Merryn is now taking her fight to the state of Alabama. Merryn: What caused me to come forward was unfortunately finding out that my little sister was also being abused. It was just the beginning of a long journey. Her testimony was met with a standing ovation. Mar 22, 2018 Erin Merryn, survivor of sexual abuse as a child and the driving force behind Erin's Law, speaks to an auditorium full of students at Metamora Township High School last Monday, March 12. It can happen to anyone, which is why we need to empower our children with their voice to speak up and tell and to not keep it a secret if they are abused. Erin decided at a young age to take a stand against evil and expose the silent epidemic of child sexual abuse in the spotlight. While these inhumane animals may live among us, there is one sexual abuse survivor who has made it her mission to empower children about these evil, sick people and teach them about body safety. You will eventually hear about this law being passed in all 50 states, and I plan on one day taking it and making it international, said Erin. Erins Law encourages research based curriculum, Merryn said. Today there are more then 700 Children Advocacy Centers in America and millions of children have walked through those doors.Before there were CAC's children were interviewed numerous times in places such as police stations. The revelation caused tension in the family. Merryn: I cover these two words in my second book, "Living for Today." How did you find this voice? We live in a society that keeps it hushed and (there is) so much taboo around it; people are afraid to speak up and say this happened to them. Erin first gained public attention for this cause when she self-published her first book while still a senior in high school in Schaumburg IL, entitled: Stolen Innocence: Triumphing Over a Childhood Broken by Abuse: A Memoir. No one is allowed in the bathroom with you not even your friend. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). Erins Law soon caught on nationwide. Statistics show that one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused by the age of 18. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. She is not ashamed of the sexual abuse she endured as a child and, instead, feels inspired to put a face and voice on childhood sexual abuse. In December 2010 I was voted News Maker of the year for the Daily Herald.She earned her masters degree in Social Work and is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, AnUnimaginableAct, Bailey No Ordinary Cat & The Diary of a Cat Named Carrot. Erin Merryn (Author) 139 ratings Kindle Edition $17.99 Read with Our Free App Paperback $16.56 16 Used from $11.22 5 New from $45.35 Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. The next day they told their parents. As the abuse continued, and as she was forced to see her abuser over and over again in social situations, she struggled with self-doubt, panic attacks, nightmares and the weight of whether or not to tell her terrible secret. It was the first federal bill passed funding sexual abuse prevention education. She wanted him to know how much his actions had affected her life. What factors came together for you to be able to not only overcome what happened, but to also thrive? Meanwhile, the survivor who came up with the idea aftersufferingher own personal horrors shared her story with senators Tuesday. After it was republished by Health Communications in early 2005, she began traveling the nation telling her story about the sexual abuse she endured at hundreds of high schools, colleges, sexual assault centers, child abuse conferences and community events. Did anything make you an attractive target, or particularly vulnerable? She earned a master's degree from Aurora University in social work. The first abuser, our neighbor, is someone I think who did this to any girl he had access to. Two years later, though,whenErin was 11, she said her older teenage cousin started abusing her too. Merryn now had a duty as a big sister to protect her younger sibling. Its somebody they know and trust.. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. If someone ever does touch you in those areas, you tell immediately., Merryn suggests the books The Swimsuit Lesson and The Right Touch.. In 2013 Governor Quinn signed Erins Law mandating child sexual abuse education in all Illinois public schools. In 2014 People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world along with Oprah and Hillary Clinton. It is currently passed in 37 states as of January 2021. When all you have ever been told by an abuser is to stay silent, no one will believe you, this is our secret, you learn to believe that, and (it) makes it extremely difficult to speak up about. A judge did sentenced her cousin to probation and counseling. Erin, now a 33-year-old wife and mother of two with one on the way, has spent the last eight years travelling to every state advocating for abused children. The only education I ever received about sexual abuse was when I became a victim, and the abusers threatened bad things would happen if I ever told. Erin Elizabeth had cheerful holidays turned into a fight to protect herself from evil where she often lost. Carrot has 281,000 instagram followers. Names were the only thing she changed. Merryn said she was never taught to speak up about it, so shekept it a secret. Erin Merryn from Elgin, Illinois, was just weeks shy of her seventh birthday when she was raped by an adult neighbor. I feel it would have given me the voice that these men took from me. One day, a particular entry she wrote caught her eye. Her name is Erin Merryn and she is the founder of Erins Law. Jill Burke is a former writer and columnist for Alaska Dispatch News. Through her personal diary, written during the years of her abuse, Erin shares her journey through pain and confusion to inner strength and, ultimately, forgiveness. I tell parents the best way to talk to kids about this is through the swimsuit lesson, Merryn said. My parents believed me and my cousin Brian confessed to the police, she said. All rights reserved. Oh and of course my cousin's voice echoing through my head "No one will believe you, you have no proof, you will destroy this family, this is our secret!" I left all the fragmented sentences, misspelled words, because I wanted readers to hear the voice of a young child.. "Erin's Law" is named after Schaumburg native and activist Erin Merryn. But then, it started happening behind closed doors at crowded family functions. He cornered her in basements, bathrooms and bedrooms, always reminding her that she shouldn't bother telling anyone because no one would believe her. Bucco introduced Erins Law (S-2145) on May 2. Our guest speaker for the Luncheon will now be Erin Merryn, childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist, and the force behind Erin . Caught you off guard? He was the father of my best friend. We live in a society that doesn't want to even address this issue. Only this time, the person behind it was her older cousin, a nice young man with a bright future to whom she looked at as the brother she never had.. But nobody asked those important questions. The man, then in his late 20s, abused her several more times in the next year, including, she says, raping her during a daytime visit when she thought he wouldn't be home. Instead of putting their daughters through further emotional trauma of a criminal trial, Erins parents decided not to press charges. Check out pictures, bibliography, and biography of Erin Merryn She is the founder of Erin's Law, which is a group advocating for child sexual abuse awareness. A voice that flies across America and speaks at many of these CAC's that exist taking people back to my experience at the CAC and this time sharing all the details because I no longer carry the shame but instead a voice bringing awareness to these incredible centers that give children a new start on life and a path toward healing. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. That is what brought Erin to tell her story at Metamora Township High School last Monday afternoon, during an all-school assembly. She is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for . Erin is a mom to three little girls. Her courage breaking her silence allowed me to take a stand for both of us and be brave and tell her we can't keep this a secret, that we have to tell our parents. Every six minutes a child is sexually abused in the U.S. One in every 4 girls and 6 boys will be sexually assaulted before the turn 18 over 90% by a family member or friend. However, during the hearing Tuesday,Ohio State Sen. Sandra OBrien, R-Ashtabula, told Merryn that whileshe was sorry about what happened to her,there will always be evil in the world.. When Erin Merryn was a child, she was sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a family member. It was so brutal I thought I was dying, Merryn, Glamour magazines 2012 Woman of the Year, recalled in an interview with the Asbury Park Press. It wasnt until Erin was 13 and found out the same thing was happening to her little sister (then age 11), that she decided she needed to speak out. Please join Erin Merryn in her crusade to protect children from sexual abuse and donate to help her with her travel expenses today! The law was passed in a number of states,[7] with New York becoming the 37th in 2019. Erin Merryn, 30, a child sexual abuse survivor and creator of the legislation, said schools generally fail to give young students adequate awareness and a voice on the issue of sexual abuse. High near 60F. The words of my cousin began haunting me. Then something happened that no one saw coming: he confessed. "A Child's Best Defense Is Her Voice. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Two of those children were my sister and I. She explained to her cousin that she didnt want to publish it out of revenge, rather to help the millions of other sexual assault survivors. I wouldn't have quit my job four years ago as a master's level counselor to go after this had I not been lead by the Lord. Merryn worked with U.S. You have permission to edit this article. The two continued to correspond for seven months. "The new bill brings a mandate," Merryn said, "mandating that all (Illinois) schools--pre-school through 12th grade--must begin next fall teaching sexual-abuse prevention education in the schools." [3] According to her personal account, she told her parents about the latter after her sister confided that she had also been abused by the same relative. Glamour magazine named Merryn Woman of the Year 2012, and People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world and a HEROES Among us in 2013.[9]. Thats precisely why she does what she does. 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