See the sex abuse in Israel's ultra-orthodox community. He'd conditioned and kept me silent for two years, so he knew he could get away with that behavior, even with so many people around. Last week the law passed in two more states, Virginia and Wyoming, bringing the total to 34. Nightmares and flashbacks continued, and she started harming herself. Meanwhile, the survivor who came up with the idea aftersufferingher own personal horrors shared her story with senators Tuesday. Merryn said the abuse only stopped because her family moved away. The brilliant minds behind putting in place a center that had a home away from home feeling to give children a sense of security and comfort.At thirteen was the age I walked through the CAC. 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. To a child who has been told so many threats to stay silent the idea of being taken to a police station can often scare a child. Bad things happen to children all the time, the Garden State may soon benefit from Merryns harrowing experience, knowledge and hope, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. I survived it and eventually learned how to thrive from it by breaking my silence and putting a face and voice on this silent epidemic. Alaska Dispatch: Resiliency can be an important factor in how well survivors of abuse cope and in whether they go on to lead a healthy, happy life. Merryn kept her confusion to herself. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. It ended only after a chance conversation between Merryn and one of her sisters, who blurted out one day that their cousin Brian was "gross." 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. 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. 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. Usually, the abuse isnt at the hands of a stranger, rather someone they know and trust. Requiring personal body safety education in public schools. Now she's on a quest to make sure lawmakers across America hear what she has to stay. --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. 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. Erin Merryn testified Tuesday in an Ohio Senate committee about 'Erin's Law.' Merryn now. Erins Law encourages research based curriculum, Merryn said. In 2013, Governor Quinn signed it into law requiring Illinois schools to teach it every single year. 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. 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. God has healed me, made me whole again, and has shown me the ability to forgive, the freedom it brings yourself, and shown me my purpose in this life, and that is to give kids the voice I didn't have. They talked for hours about what had happened, and the next day told their parents about their shared horror. Innocence lost. 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. 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. Its word for word my diary from the ages of 10 until my senior year of high school. 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. 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. The fact that a motel is not telling families that sex offenders are living there should be a crime, Merryn said. What do you think made him want to apologize, finally? I remember reading this thinking, they dont teach us that in school. I guess what I was trying to ask is, why do you think your abusers chose you instead of some other girl as a target? The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. I know that when theres one in four girls and one in six boys (being abused) Im not the only one standing in this room that this has happened to, Erin said of the statistics. Erin decided at a young age to take a stand against evil and expose the silent epidemic of child sexual abuse in the spotlight. 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 more I shared the more I felt heard like I was lifting this burden off me and by the way the forensic interviewer was talking to me and encouraged me she gave me the message she believed me. 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. When I was six years old, I was sexually abused at a neighbor's house. Seconds later his hand was down her pants. 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. Named by PEOPLE Magazine a HEROES Among us and one of fifteen women changing the world. Erin Merryn is an author, activist, speaker, wife, and mom to young human children and a fur baby named Bailey. Merryn is an author and activist against sexual abuse who founded "Erin's Law," which requires school to. And a third girl I know was also abused by him. A safe touch could be a high five or hug and an unsafe touch is someone touching you in the areas covered by your swimsuit, or your private parts, Merryn said. These days hes almost 9 and I dont really tag along to play dates anymore, but every time I drop him off, I tell him, if you have to use the bathroom, lock the door and have privacy. 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. What factors came together for you to be able to not only overcome what happened, but to also thrive? 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. The words of my cousin began haunting me. Visit Amazon.au's Erin Merryn Page and shop for all Erin Merryn books. The day I left that place I took a piece of my life back, and that was my voice. That happened until I was 13. Erin Merryn detailed the treatment and help she received from the Children's Advocacy Center, which has 900 locations across the U.S.A. - a safe environment for children to share their stories of abuse. 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. When Merryn eventually confided in Ashley about what had happened, her friend was not surprised; in fact, the scene was depressingly familiar to her. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. Forgiving him did not mean what he did was right, she stressed. I was told repeatedly by my cousin that I had no proof, that he would deny it, that no one would believe me. The instruction will be provided by a school nurse who has completed professional development sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention. It would be many more years until that voice would become the strong, confident woman that I have become. How do we lessen the control these pressures have on ourselves, our loved ones? After her parents decided to move Erin's abuse ended but only brought her that much closer to her next abuser, an older teenage cousin who lived . This decision has brought her on a crusade across America to pass what is known as Erin's Law. Im very concerned about the possibility of grooming or the losing the innocence of our young children. 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. In December 2015, President Obama signed the federal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding toschools to provide this education. Merryn now had a duty as a big sister to protect her younger sibling. will then mail or hand the parents or responsible adult family member the Megans Law information. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. 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. In a Q&A with Alaska Dispatch before boarding her flight north, Merryn wasn't shy about sharing the difficulties she's experienced, including a suicide attempt, or the one thing that happened to make her finally tell someone she was being hurt. I had all the warning signs of an abused kid -- labeled behavior(ally) and emotionally disturbed, given an IEP (Individual Education Plan) for that behavior, I had anger problems, put my hand through a window weeks after being raped at 7 years old and threw tantrums on the floors in school. Here's a glimpse of her life and why she's on a quest for social change. It happened again after we moved away, when a cousin started abusing me in my sleep when I was 11 years old. Two years later, though,whenErin was 11, she said her older teenage cousin started abusing her too. "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." She is an activist against child sexual abuse. Forgiveness set me free. You will be believed.. In 2014 People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world along with Oprah and Hillary Clinton. However, Merryn said this time the perpetrator was an older cousin, someone she had viewed as a brother figure. Sunshine and a few clouds. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). 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. When she is traveling to state capitols or speaking engagements she is entertaining her 270,000Instagram followers that follow her famous cat. Those were just the number of children who broke their silence that year. Alaska Dispatch: When you decided to confront and start corresponding with your cousin, how did it go at first? [8] In November 2009, she published a second book, Living For Today, discussing earlier abuse by her neighbor. The man had threatened Merryn that hed hurt her more if she told anyone. My name is Erin Merryn and I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. Are you afraid you will lose business? 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. Again, she was told to keep quiet, that no one would believe her if she said anything and that she had no proof. Call it what it is: penis and vagina.. So be careful sending little Tommy for ice at the machine down the hall and inform teens who often book motels after prom. Chris Newlin - National Children's Advocacy Center (2012) Fox News Self - Author of 'An Unimaginable Act'. Instead of putting their daughters through further emotional trauma of a criminal trial, Erins parents decided not to press charges. Well, something shocking happened. 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. How did you find this voice? 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. 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. (2016) Consider This Self - Author and Children's Advocate. My parents believed me and my cousin Brian confessed to the police, she said. Forgiving him allowed me to move forward with my life and decide to no longer let this thing be something I should be ashamed of, no longer allowing it to be a negative in my life, but letting it be a positive.. Little did I realize, that by moving, I was getting that much closer to the next perpetrator in my life, she said. Erin Merryn born February 2 1985 is the author of Stolen Innocence Living for Today An Unimaginable Act Bailey No Ordinary Cat and The Diary of a Cat. He told me, "Your goal is to convince everyone else." See all See top. Two of those children were my sister and I. 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 parents can then share the information that the schools provided with anyone else in their household. And for the next year and a half, repeatedly told me, This is our little secret. MORE: Moms and dads, can we talk about stranger danger? Stolen Innocencewas published soon after. At age 17, she attempted suicide. She is the author of Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. What if their family is pressuring them to just keep quiet and get on with their life? 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. Erin's Law, named after Erin Merryn, has passed in 36 states and is pending in the other 14. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). Alaska Dispatch: Let's talk about two words we hear a lot when covering sexual abuse stories: victim and survivor. In Living for Today, readers find that Erin cultivated the strength to face her abuser . In 2010, Merryn began a crusade to get Erin's Law passed across America. She has made it her mission in life to get this legislation passed in all 50 states. It was a detailed account of how an officer came to her school to talk about stranger danger. Low near 30F. Merryn realized he had been molesting her sister too. Her name is Erin Merryn and she is the founder of Erins Law. Read more about Erin Merryn on her Erin's Law Facebook page and her website. The book is titled "Stolen Innocence." 5 talking about this. She also pointed out the real loss of innocence for a child is when they are sexually abused and nothing is done about it. I just figured I told my mom, and I never had to talk about this again. ", Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. Teaching kids the differences between safe and unsafe touch, safe and unsafe secrets, how to report this to a safe adult and to keep reporting it if your abuse does not end, said Merryn. "I just stared at the ceiling waiting for it to end." Merryn: I cover these two words in my second book, "Living for Today." Before . She is the founder of Erin's Law, which is a group advocating for child sexual abuse awareness. I will not stop until children in all 50 states are protected from sexual abuse.". Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erin's Law. Merryn says starting when she was six, she was sexually abused by a neighbor, then at 11 by an older cousin. The first episode began on a warm May night in 1991. Erin Elizabeth had cheerful holidays turned into a fight to protect herself from evil where she often lost. But nobody asked those important questions. ABC News agreed to use her pen name and a false name for the man she says abused her. She is the force behind passing Erin's Law across America. Merryn: I didn't expect a response back from my cousin because my letter was very harsh filled with so much anger and rage. 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." Eventually, her parents and sisters moved to another town, closer to family. She came to me after I had been abused for two years and told me words I never expected to hear, that she too was being abused by the same family member. Instead I am still running from Brian. See her personal website at ErinMerryn.net Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. As I describe in my books, that center was the foundation of my healing. I eventually would return back to the room I was interviewed in nine months later when I began doing individual counseling but was still not ready to go there into details the shame overwhelmed me however I did learn to finally stop blaming myself for what happened to my younger sister and my entire family. I will come get you, I know where you live, Erin recalled. She earned a master's degree from Aurora University in social work. [3], "I was not educated on not keeping secrets if someone was hurting me. The two families have ceased having contact. It is currently passed in 37 states as of January 2021. "He told me, just like in the past by this other perpetrator, 'Erin, this is our . Erin Merryn is an author (Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, An Unimaginable Act), activist, and founder of Erin's Law. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Erin has been traveling state to state testifying to lawmakers to pass Erin's law for 7 years. Erin Elizabeth heard over the years from 11-13 "Nobody will believe you, you have no proof, you will destroy our large extended family, this is our secret don't tell anyone." Visiting Alaska this week, Erin Merryn is a long way from home, and even farther from the torturous past she endured as a sexually abused child. I also tell parents don't give childrens private parts pet names. However, she said theabuseand rape continueduntil she was almost nine. EN. "Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I met my best friend in kindergarten. 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. Is there anything about your life circumstances that you think made you a target? Did anything make you an attractive target, or particularly vulnerable? 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 . 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. She has appeared on Oprah, Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, TLC documentary Breaking the Silence, CBS This Morning, Katie Couric, Tamaron Hall, 700 Club, and over 200 local media stations. He was given probation and counseling., Forgiveness is what set me free, she said. Have there been times in your life when haven't done well? At first, it happened when she was babysitting her younger cousins and their older brother would arrive home before their mother. Erin Merryn, A Voice for the Voiceless. The Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County, Ill. (there are 900 of these centers across America in every state), helped give me the courage in my forensic interview after my sister and I broke our silence to tell what had happened. Merryn's experiences belie the more common parental fears of "stranger danger." 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. You have permission to edit this article. I left all the fragmented sentences, misspelled words, because I wanted readers to hear the voice of a young child.. In 2013 Governor Quinn signed Erins Law mandating child sexual abuse education in all Illinois public schools. The abuse went on for years. No one would believe me, she recalls this man telling her. 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. My sister and I told our parents the next day (and) we were referred to the Children's Advocacy Center by police detectives to be interviewed. It allowed me to let go of the bitterness, anger and rage I had toward him and find the freedom and peace I longed for and the ability to turn this painful event into something positive. Pat Quinn on Thursday signed a new law extending sexual abuse education in Illinois schools. A week later, she got a reply. Merryn: I have witnessed some lawmakers come in voting against the bill who got on their mic after hearing me testify and (told) me they had all planned to vote against this bill and that my testimony changed their mind. 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 . But where were the eight ways on how to "get away and tell today?" From the age of 11 to 13, I was repeatedly sexually abused at the hands of a family member, an older cousin, she said. She urged kids to come forward if they or someone they know is being sexually abused. CAC The place Erin Merryn broke her silence The Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County Illinois In 1998 seventy five thousand six hundred and forty seven abused children were seen in one hundred and thirty nine Children's Advocacy Centers in America. 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