Merryn suffered sexual abuse by a male neighbor at ages six to eight[2] and by a teenage cousin at ages 11 to 13. Alaska Dispatch: In your quest to get Erin's Law passed in every state, you must have encountered some surprising remarks. Visit sheriffalerts.com to find out if there are sex offenders in your area. I was keeping this secret with my best friend because he was also abusing her, Merryn said. But her parents thought it was because of health problems she was having at the time. I continued to write him because I wanted answers. Erin Merryn, the bill's namesake and a survivor of sexual abuse, said she is frustrated by the governor's slow response to sign it into law. Erin wanted nothing more than to make him feel the hurt that she did. The bill had already passed the House . The shame is so overwhelming. 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 . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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.. Did anything make you an attractive target, or particularly vulnerable? I left all the fragmented sentences, misspelled words, because I wanted readers to hear the voice of a young child.. Those were just the number of children who broke their silence that year. 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. As an adult, she's reclaimed the voice her. The ability to forgive both my abusers set me free and gave me my voice back and the strength to speak out for others. Erin, a Chicago-area native, first introduced the legislation in Illinois, and the bill was given her namesake. I also encourage parents to have a code word with their kids, she said. 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. He threatened her to stay silent so she kept her secrets locked away in her childhood diary. But Ashley begged her not to say anything because Richard had told her they would "lose the house" if the girls told anyone. She didn't want to stop visiting her friend but tried to find times when Richard wasn't around. Instead of putting their daughters through further emotional trauma of a criminal trial, Erins parents decided not to press charges. Erins Law encourages research based curriculum, Merryn said. But many schools, she said, are using faculty social workers and psychologists because research shows its better taught by in-house staff then outside agencies. Immediately I thought I was being asked this question because she already did not believe me. While the party was going on, and my friend's mom was in the house, this neighbor cornered me in a bathroom and abused me. The instruction will be provided by a school nurse who has completed professional development sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention. 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. I got five sentences to my five pages, but he responded and it opened a door of communication, she said. At a family gathering at her grandparents' lake house, she awoke in the middle of the night to find her cousin "Brian" (again, not his real name), then 13 . 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. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. 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. I was told repeatedly by my cousin that I had no proof, that he would deny it, that no one would believe me. We live in a society that doesn't want to even address this issue. 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. 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. 7Erin Merryn is a Woman of the Year because"She's taken her personal crusade and turned it into a public one. [7] She published her diary detailing her cousin's abuse and her own recovery, relapse and reconciliation in book form as Stolen Innocence in 2005. In her diary Erin Merryn reveals how her life was transformed one night when, as an eleven-year-old, she was sexually abused in her grandparents condo by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. Im very concerned about the possibility of grooming or the losing the innocence of our young children. "Erin's Law" is named after Schaumburg native and activist Erin Merryn. Erin Elizabeth had cheerful holidays turned into a fight to protect herself from evil where she often lost. 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. 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? Erin wrote that letter. COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio Senate is considering a bill to teach elementary, middle and high school students how to protect themselves from sexual predators. 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 only message I got as a child came from my abusers and that was to stay silent or else, she said. "It's something that is going to be with me the rest of my life," Erin said. One personal safety lesson learned at school that actually helped me in life was "stranger danger." Merryn: This wasn't bad luck. 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. Here's How We Amplify It | National Children's Alliance", "Erin Merryn Fights for Law to Help Child Sexual Assault Victims", "Erin's Law: When the Abuser Is No Stranger", "State Senate Passes Erin Merryn's Law Aimed at Child Sex Abuse Prevention", "Survivor Recalls Alleged Incest in Book", "Child Sexual Abuse Survivor Gets Law Passed", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erin_Merryn&oldid=1132623568, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 9 January 2023, at 19:15. Did you ever wonder, or ever ask him, why he did what he did? Merryn says a few months ago, a local . 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. 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. "I didn't understand what was going on," she says. Known For. It was the first federal bill passed funding sexual abuse prevention education. 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. 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. Have there been times in your life when haven't done well? The same year I was born in 1985 was the first year the development of the first CAC in America was born in Alabama. One thing my abusers kept telling me was that I had no proof that they were hurting me, so why would anyone believe me? Erin's Law has passed in 21 states and is pending in 22 others. Merryn is an author and activist against sexual abuse who founded "Erin's Law," which requires school to. The school, community organization, day care center, etc. Unthinkable acts. So far 27 states have passed Erins Law since 2010. This representative did get on her mic. It is my hope hearing my message today youll see the importance of what Im here to talk to you about, said Erin Merryn. 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]. Im glad he gets body boundaries and safety and Ill be pounding it into his head as long as I can. 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. Nightmares and flashbacks continued, and she started harming herself. [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. I just wanted to get it over with.She was a forensic interviewer who had been trained to interview children who had reported abuse. Merryn: There is so much shame and stigma attached to sexual abuse. 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. I just figured I told my mom, and I never had to talk about this again. Erin Merryn testified Tuesday in an Ohio Senate committee about 'Erin's Law.' So before CAC's a child brought to a police station could be filled with anxiety and fear that they are in trouble. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. Carrot has 281,000 instagram followers. 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. Alaska's version of Erin's Law is currently under consideration by the Alaska State Legislature as House Bill 233. And for the next year and a half, repeatedly told me, This is our little secret. They never came, so I stayed silent. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. Vermont State Board of Education has required it in schools since 2009. 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." 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 . Meetings between the two families were called to sort out the problem, to no avail. JANESVILLE, Wis. (WMTV) - Illinois woman Erin Merryn spoke in Wisconsin Wednesday, pushing the state to pass the law in her namesake that aims to protect children and prevent child sexual abuse. 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. ", Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. CBN News Self - Children's Advocate. She is the founder of Erin's Law, which is a group advocating for child sexual abuse awareness. Through her speeches and books, Erin is an inspiration to professionals working daily to fight child abuse. [8] In November 2009, she published a second book, Living For Today, discussing earlier abuse by her neighbor. When Erin Merryn was a child, she was sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a family member. 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. Merryn realized he had been molesting her sister too. 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. Victims are those who don't survive. What if their family is pressuring them to just keep quiet and get on with their life? She has now dedicated her life to protecting our nations children. 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. Statistics show that one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused by the age of 18. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. 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. . My sister and I were the only girls that he was around all the time. 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. 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. Do you know if it was as healing for him as it was for you? 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. Since going public 10 years ago, I have had no contact with him. Merryn was also the owner of the viral Instagram cat, Bailey, until he died in December 2018. 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. Says Merryn: "[Ashley] made me pinky promise not to say anything. With every passing week, and with every visit, Erin gets closer to her goal. 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. 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. We simply cannot stand by and allow these innocent kids to feel ashamed and live in fear at the hands of their abuser. 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. Merryn said she testified four times for the task force. After reading that letter, a switch flipped inside Erin. 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. Silence Broken and Stigmas Shattered -- Help for Incest Survivors Is Here Fans of Erin Merryn's heart-wrenching debut memoir Stolen Innocence were left wondering at the end what would become of an emotionally fragile Erin after her confrontation with the reality of being a child of incest and molestation. By breaking your silence you are reclaiming your voice. But both she and her sister did tell their stories. The abuse went on for years. From the age of 11 to 13, I was repeatedly sexually abused at the hands of a family member, an older cousin, she said. My parents believed me and my cousin Brian confessed to the police, she said. No one would believe me, she recalls this man telling her. Senator Gillibrand on the federal version of Erin's Law to give federal funding to the law, and in December 2015 President Obama signed the federal version of Erin's Law under the Every Student Succeeds Act. In Living for Today, readers find that Erin cultivated the strength to face her abuser . Innocence lost. Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. How did you find this voice? According to Merryn, every school gets the option to pick a Erins Law program, and have an outside agency teach. She now runs Carrot's Instagram and shares pictures of Carrot sharing a similar demeanor of her previously owned cat, Bailey. Merryn is now taking her fight to the state of Alabama. You have permission to edit this article. 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. 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. 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. Lawmakers are in the dark about this. Merryn says her abuse ended when the family moved to a new neighborhood, Schaumburg, Illinois but she took her secret with her. But instead of telling everyone to vote against it, she told everyone to vote in support of this bill. Why is it so difficult to talk about? Named by PEOPLE Magazine a HEROES Among us and one of fifteen women changing the world. Two days later, their cousin was brought into the police station. Merryn now. See her personal website at ErinMerryn.net. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). After enduring a childhood filled w. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erins Law. It was the first time she supported a school mandate, and she retired later that year. 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 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. The law has now passed in 37 states. Then, Erin said she told her family too. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. She is the force behind passing Erin's Law across America. 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. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. Erin Merryn is among the many that came across the story. It just turned into a screaming match between my mom and his mom, your son did this, your girls are liars, remembered Erin. 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. Read more about Erin Merryn on her Erin's Law Facebook page and her website. Motel management is NOT obligated to tell guests sex offenders are next door. Again, she was told to keep quiet, that no one would believe her if she said anything and that she had no proof. Almost all states that have passed it are using the program, while some states are deciding how their schools will implement It into the curriculum.. (See Gary Glitter's sex scandal.). "I just stared at the ceiling waiting for it to end." Merryn: I cover these two words in my second book, "Living for Today." In 2010, Merryn began a crusade to get Erin's Law passed across America. 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 Named Carrot. As for Merryn, today shes married, the mother of an almost 2 year old, and expecting her second child in eight weeks. 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.. 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. He got us quiet and continued to get away with it. If someone ever does touch you in those areas, you tell immediately., Merryn suggests the books The Swimsuit Lesson and The Right Touch.. In it, Erin chronicles how she cultivated the strength to face her abuser and eventually found relief from years of emotional restlessness, while also igniting the beginnings of a new fearless journey. I can remember that as if it happened yesterday. 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. These can seem like powerful forces to go up against. At a family gathering at her grandparents' lake house, she awoke in the middle of the night to find her cousin "Brian" (again, not his real name), then 13, lying next to her with his hands down her underwear. Erin Merryn, A Voice for the Voiceless. Stolen Innocencewas published soon after. Thats precisely why she does what she does. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. Around the time we were getting ready to move away, my friend had a birthday party. Eleven states have passed the legislation. I will come get you, I know where you live, Erin recalled. We've had an unprecedented change for our Gingerbread House Partners in Prevention 2021 Luncheon and we couldn't be more excited! Merryn, then 6, was excited about her first sleepover with her kindergarten classmate Ashley. (2016) Consider This Self - Author and Children's Advocate. 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