Erin Merryn is a 21-year-old college sophomore who wrote a book, "Stolen Innocence: Memoir," about her struggles after she claims she was molested by her first cousin. How did you find this voice? With every passing week, and with every visit, Erin gets closer to her goal. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. One day, a particular entry she wrote caught her eye. 4 mos. It is when they hear my story of how I was raped, and how my abusers controlled the situation by being the only ones talking to me about what was happening, that they "get it." Merryn: I was terrified. And it was at her house the very first overnight that I woke up to her uncle who lived in the home sexually abusing me," said Merryn. After an evening of playing with Ashley's dollhouse and watching The Little Mermaid, the girls went to bed in Ashley's room. It was just the beginning of a long journey. When Merryn eventually confided in Ashley about what had happened, her friend was not surprised; in fact, the scene was depressingly familiar to her. The voice that was silenced for so long. Merryn is an author, activist, and founder of Erin's Law. If they feel they are in danger or in an uncomfortable situation, they can call home and use the code word, something as simple as, I forgot my math homework at school. . I also learned in group how to create a safe place to escape to when memories flooded my memory.While I was not ready at thirteen and fourteen to immediately share the journey of what all I went through because I was still too ashamed the Children's Advocacy Center laid the foundation in my healing to one day let that voice be heard. Look out for motels that might house sex offenders. Bucco introduced Erins Law (S-2145) on May 2. But what followed was depression,an eating disorder and a suicide attempt. He knows the parts covered by his underwear and bathing suit arent for anyone to touch or see and he knows who safe people are if he ever needs help with something. Two days later, their cousin was brought into the police station. The two continued to correspond for seven months. When Erin Merryn was a child, she was sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a family member. Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. 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.. will then mail or hand the parents or responsible adult family member the Megans Law information. My favorite story is out of my own state of Illinois (One lawmaker) had been against school mandates her entire career, and (the sponsor) warned me, she is going to get on her mic and go on about how this should not be passed, schools should not be mandated to do things, etc. As a result, she has been interviewed by many major news organizations and TV programs beginning in 2006, on Good Morning America, Oprah, CNN, Today Show, Fox, Katie Couric, Nightline, TLC, OWN, MSNBC, People Magazine, Time Magazine, Glamour Magazine, USA Today, London Times, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and dozens more local media. This law could have given me the ability to know I would be believed, that this is not a secret to keep, and how to report it. There is a misconception about this issue many people think sexual abuse only happens to the poor, to people who come from broken homes, etc. Bad things happen to children all the time. These can seem like powerful forces to go up against. And a third girl I know was also abused by him. She is the founder of Erin's Law, which requires public schools to teach children personal body safety on the prevention of child sexual ab No one will believe you, Erin. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. I tell parents the best way to talk to kids about this is through the swimsuit lesson, Merryn said. Erin said he would occasionally downplay what he did, but he never denied it. Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. 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. 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. Nightmares. But only 1 in every 10 sexually abused children ever tell anyone about it. Two years later, though,whenErin was 11, she said her older teenage cousin started abusing her too. Eleven states have passed the legislation. Erin said all she ever learnedin school was aboutstranger danger. But knowing it was not strangers who abused her,she has made it her mission as an adult to make sure kids in K-12 schoolsacross the countryonce a year learnfroma school psychologist or social workerabout personal body safety education. But her nightmare was just beginning. After describing the difference between the truth and a lie I was asked if I agreed to tell the truth that day. In 2010, Merryn helped create Erin's Law, which was the first law to be passed in the U.S. that required children to be taught sexual abuse prevention in school. He continued to abuse her on and off for nearly two years, she says, often at holidays and celebrations with her close-knit extended family. She was taught how to ride out a tornado, instructed in the eight steps for turning down illegal drugs, and told how to react to a friendly stranger who might try to abduct her. In April, 2010, Illinois State Senator Tim Bivins agreed to meet with Erin and he became the first state legislator to sponsor Erins Law. Since that first meeting, Erin has met with hundreds of state legislators, testified dozens of times in front of State Senate and House committees, served on several committees to draft bills and implement the new laws, plus speaks regularly to schools, agencies, conferences and media nationwide. Details Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. Erins Law encourages research based curriculum, Merryn said. He cornered her in basements, bathrooms and bedrooms, always reminding her that she shouldn't bother telling anyone because no one would believe her. InDecember 2015 President Obama signed thefederal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding for schools to use. Merryn: What caused me to come forward was unfortunately finding out that my little sister was also being abused. He did respond admitting what he did and saying he is using his past to not make the same mistakes now in his life. I remember immediately after answering the interviewer I said "That's the reason I didn't tell before, I kept it to myself because I thought no one would believe me." The fact that a motel is not telling families that sex offenders are living there should be a crime, Merryn said. There was one good thing about my sister coming forward, she said. Merryn lay on blankets on the floor next to Ashley, who was in her bed. 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. My mission, through this legislation, is to educate children on what I never learned. Merryn suffered sexual abuse by a male neighbor at ages six to eight[2] and by a teenage cousin at ages 11 to 13. 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. February 7, 2023 by Cindy Erin Merryn is a Global Advocate for Child Sex Abuse Prevention For years, Erin Merryn was too scared to speak up about sexual abuse. Every parent should do their homework before they send their kids anywhere. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) During her quest,. The law has now passed in 37 states. But instead of telling everyone to vote against it, she told everyone to vote in support of this bill. She is the force behind passing Erin's Law across America. Again, she was told to keep quiet, that no one would believe her if she said anything and that she had no proof. [5] They talked for hours about what had happened, and the next day told their parents about their shared horror. But where were the eight ways on how to "get away and tell today?" Erin Merryn is author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Do you believe one word is more appropriate than the other? What's your advice for sexual abuse victims who may want to come forward, but who feel the abuse is better kept secret or forgotten? The Church Sex Abuse Scandals Around the World, Child-Abuse Case Reveals Vietnam's Lax Social Services, (Read why most child abuse goes unreported). In 2014 People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world along with Oprah and Hillary Clinton. (2016) Consider This Self - Author and Children's Advocate. She wasn't always successful. 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. "It's something that is going to be with me the rest of my life," Erin said. Sponsored by Rep. Geran Tarr, D-Anchorage, HB 233 puts Alaska among the states considering "Erin's Law" in 2014. Illinois is the fifth state to pass Erin's Law since she took up the cause. She is dedicated to taking the stigma and shame away from sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage to speak up as she has. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. tax-exempt 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. "Alabama needs this law because just like everywhere else in America . Therapists (and) an amazing school psychologist in high school really helped me heal. A week later, she got a reply. As I describe in my books, that center was the foundation of my healing. After Bailey's passing, she adopted a kitten named Carrot. But instead of destroying it, she ended up emailing her five-page account of anger and rage to her cousin, who was now attending college. She kept quiet, but behavior problems soon followed. Erin Merryn A Voice for the Voiceless Author, Activist, Speaker, wife, mother, and force behind Erin's Law Glamour Magazine 2012 Woman of the Year. So, instead of speaking out, the only person she told her thoughts and feelings to was herself in the form of a little pink diary. Victims are those who don't survive. Erin Merryn from Elgin, Illinois, was just weeks shy of her seventh birthday when she was raped by an adult neighbor. Sunshine and a few clouds. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Merryn successfully passed it in her state of Illinois in 2013 and has been traveling from one state capital to another testifying to state lawmakers to . My name is Erin Merryn and I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. Merryn: There is so much shame and stigma attached to sexual abuse. In December 2015, President Obama signed the federal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding toschools to provide this education. The bill had already passed the House . Forgiveness is what set me free. Erin Merryn is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, An Unimaginable Act, Bailey No Ordinary Cat, and The Diary of a Cat Named Carrot. She is an activist against child sexual abuse as well as the founder of Erin's Law, which requires public schools to teach children personal body safety in order to prevent child sexual abuse. Through her speeches and books, Erin is an inspiration to professionals working daily to fight child abuse. At first, it happened when she was babysitting her younger cousins and their older brother would arrive home before their mother. "A Child's Best Defense Is Her Voice. Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. In 2008, Erin decided to step up her efforts to protect children nationwide and started writing state legislators to ask them to pass laws requiring schools to better educate children, school employees and parents how to prevent and stop child sexual abuse. I will fight alongside Erin and the advocates right here in our community until the day that this lifesaving legislation finally becomes law.. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Erin Merryn, a Chicago-area resident behind an Ohio bill that would require public schools to provide age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention instruction, told a Senate. Merryn: This wasn't bad luck. 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 . The only message I got as a child came from my abusers and that was to stay silent or else, she said. Is there anything about your life circumstances that you think made you a target? Alaska Dispatch: When you broke your silence and spoke up, was it frightening? That's where, 14 years ago, a then-13-year-old Erin Merryn first . It is currently passed in 37 states as of January 2021. Merryn travels the country bearing witness to what happened to her in hopes of encouraging states to enact laws requiring sexual abuse education in schools. I wanted to know why, and when I asked if he was abused, he denied it and said he abused me out of curiosity and an urge of sexuality. Have there been times in your life when haven't done well? Young children tend to hear a lot of messages about avoiding interactions with people they don't know, when in reality they are far more likely to face harm from a relative or family friend. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. They never came, so I stayed silent. After her parents decided to move Erins abuse ended but only brought her that much closer to her next abuser, an older teenage cousin who lived down the street from her. How and when did you do it first? By breaking your silence you are reclaiming your voice. It is my hope hearing my message today youll see the importance of what Im here to talk to you about, said Erin Merryn. (2013) CNN Newsroom Self - Child Abuse Survivor. The two families have ceased having contact. She was abused. Two of those children were my sister and I. At the age of 13, Erin finally got the courage to tell her parents after learning her younger sister was being abused by that same cousin. Vermont State Board of Education has required it in schools since 2009. 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. In the wee hours of the night, Ashley's uncle "Richard" (not his real name), who lived in the house with his niece, appeared in the darkened room. Erin Merryn, a sexual abuse survivor, applauds Stewart for making her story public. Around the time we were getting ready to move away, my friend had a birthday party. I will not stop until children in all 50 states are protected from sexual abuse.". "He told me, just like in the past by this other perpetrator, 'Erin, this is our . I was abused. Behind those numbers are the faces of innocent children whose childhoods were shattered by actions of evil and sickness. 35. 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.. Info here from RAINNwww.rainn.org/news/president-signs-measures-support-state-action-prevent-and-address-child-sexual-abuseErin's media appearances have included Access Hollywood 2020Tamron Hall 2020HLN 2020CBS Morning Show 2019The Morning Blend 2019CNN 2018, HLN 2018, BUILD 2018 TLC Breaking the Silence Documentary TODAY show 2015, Nancy Grace 2015, ABC Nightline 2015, CNN 2015, Dr. Drew 2015, Inside Edition 2015, MSNBC 2015, Oprah Winfrey Network 2014, Windy City Live 2014, MSNBC 2013, FOX 2013, Katie Couric 2013, Oprah Life Class 2012, CNN 2012, Issues with Jane Velez Mitchell 2011, Oprah Winfrey Show October 2010, Montel Williams in April/July 2006, and Good Morning America in May 2006. Last week the law passed in two more states, Virginia and Wyoming, bringing the total to 34. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Check out pictures, bibliography, and biography of Erin Merryn "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. Anyone who has felt victimized, ashamed, isolated, and silenced by their abusers will receive a road-map in the book for self-discovery, forgiveness, and empowerment to overcome trauma and live fully and fearlessly for today. Merryn is an author and activist against sexual abuse who founded "Erin's Law," which requires school to. Call it what it is: penis and vagina.. Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio SenatePrimary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. Erin has appeared in People Magazine, Glamour Magazine, Time Magazine, The New York Times, Time Magazine, New York Post, The London Times, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, among others. There are thousands of accused sex offenders every year who are found not guilty living in our communities. Alaska Dispatch: You were preyed upon not once, but twice (two different abusers during different stages of childhood). She also pointed out the real loss of innocence for a child is when they are sexually abused and nothing is done about it. Who were they? Families pressuring loved ones to stay quiet is not uncommon, but as I often like to tell survivors, by speaking up you are not only helping yourself heal; you will help save other children from experiencing this same horror at the hands of their abuser. The legislation, "Erin Merryn's Law," (S.6182 Klein/ A.8993 Dinowitz), would require schools to make a change to their . In 2013, Governor Quinn signed it into law requiring Illinois schools to teach it every single year. She is an activist against child sexual abuse. (2012) Fox News Self - Author of 'An Unimaginable Act'. Children are taught that the police are their to keep their communities safe and lock up the bad people. My parents believed me and my cousin Brian confessed to the police, she said. Her dad singled me out during the party. She is at war against this silent evil that is lurking in the shadows and is devoted to opening the eyes of the public to the tens of thousands of children who are being abused right now silently in our own communities and backyards without our knowledge. I went to bed night after night crying into my pillow having nightmares, and keeping my secrets locked away in my childhood diary., Merryn found her voice at 13 when her younger sister said the words shell never forget: Brians gross!. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Merryn said she testified four times for the task force. Because so often, people that are being abused do not report it until theyre in their 30s, 40s and 50s cause nobody ever gave them the message onhow tospeak up and tell, Merryn said. Erin's Law was the first law passed in the United States requiring sexual abuse prevention education to be taught to students in school every year, and it was subsequently passed in 38 U.S. states before being signed into federal law. In 2013 Governor Quinn signed Erins Law mandating child sexual abuse education in all Illinois public schools. 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. I found hope and healing there and people that believed me. Stolen Innocencewas published soon after. Children must be taught to tell a trusted adult if anyone touches their private parts. But both she and her sister did tell their stories. Alaska Dispatch: When you decided to confront and start corresponding with your cousin, how did it go at first? [3], She graduated from Schaumburg High School in 2004[4] and earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Western Illinois University in 2008. But her parents thought it was because of health problems she was having at the time. I can spend the rest of my life hating him, or I can forgive him and do something positive about this thing that continues to be a negative thing in my life, she said. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Unfortunately, children who are abused once are at even higher risk of being abused again by someone else because they are vulnerable and easy to prey on. Erin Merryn is an author, activist, speaker, wife, and mom to young human children and a fur baby named Bailey. A judge did sentenced her cousin to probation and counseling. What factors came together for you to be able to not only overcome what happened, but to also thrive? Of course I was asked what I was referring to and I said my cousin Brian has been doing bad things. Erin Merryn, Stolen Innocence: Triumphing Over a Childhood Broken by Abuse: A Memoir 0 likes Like "Brian, this letter is probably coming as a complete surprise to you, but I didn't feel I should warn you since you never warned me when you were going to use my body for own damn pleasures. Every other headline horrifies the public with another predator taking not just advantage of a child but everything from a child. --TV host Katie Couric, 1992, 2002, and 2006 Woman of the Year.After suffering years of sexual abuse for six years of her childhood Erin broke her silence when she was 13 at a Children's Advocacy Center. The first abuser, our neighbor, is someone I think who did this to any girl he had access to. Merryn didn't tell anyone until she was 13 and she suspected her sister was also being abused. Eventually, her parents and sisters moved to another town, closer to family. Here's a glimpse of her life and why she's on a quest for social change. [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. Choosing to forgive has led me to live for today.. She began to think about all the other prevention classes and drills she learned in school: how to say no to drugs, what to do in case of a fire, what to do in case of a tornado, how to never answer the door if parents arent home. I also give lots of insight and resources to parents in my third book An Unimaginable Act on warning sings to look for like bed wetting, wearing extra layers of clothes, avoiding a certain person, not wanting to be around them when they had no problem before, academic changes in school, depression, withdrawal, nightmares, aggression; acting out sexually, she said. 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. Erin is now on a mission to persuade all 50 states to pass Erins Law, which mandates that all public schools use age-appropriate curricula to teach students how to tell on anyone who touches or attempts to touch their private parts. The Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County Illinois. However, she said theabuseand rape continueduntil she was almost nine. So I stayed silent. Alaska Dispatch: Thank you for reminding us that abuse happens across all socioeconomic conditions. Merryn: Yes. 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!" As an adult, she's reclaimed the voice her. Jill Burke is a former writer and columnist for Alaska Dispatch News. The next steps for the bill remain unknown. Visit Amazon.au's Erin Merryn Page and shop for all Erin Merryn books. Meanwhile, the survivor who came up with the idea aftersufferingher own personal horrors shared her story with senators Tuesday. 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]. The first episode began on a warm May night in 1991. Erins Law has now going international with judge in Kerala India requiring Erins Law in the 2023-2024 school year. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. Visit sheriffalerts.com to find out if there are sex offenders in your area. At no time should the school provide the information directly to the student (unless the student is over 18). Im terribly concerned about that, said OBrien. 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. Maryland is the latest state, joining the crusade last month. As I often tell people, our innocence was stolen, (our) trust taken, but the one thing we can reclaim as survivors is our voices. He was the father of my best friend. But when it came to being sexually abused, there was nothing. From the age of 11 to 13, I was repeatedly sexually abused at the hands of a family member, an older cousin, she said. Victims of abuse know their perpetrators 80% to 90% of the time, says David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. One thing my abusers kept telling me was that I had no proof that they were hurting me, so why would anyone believe me? Author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today Children learn all kinds of safety lessons in schools, like how to deal with natural disasters, fires and strangers. She is the founder of Erin's Law, which requires public schools to teach children personal body safety on the prevention of child sexual abuse. Merryn worked with U.S. My sister and I both left with stuffed animals and feeling like our secret was now in good hands. (See Gary Glitter's sex scandal.). What once caused her shame, and something she never wanted to talk about, she now found herself wanting to turn it into a book. This is through the swimsuit lesson, Merryn said there is so much shame and stigma attached to abuse... 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