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. Children are taught that the police are their to keep their communities safe and lock up the bad people. "A Child's Best Defense Is Her Voice. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. The two continued to correspond for seven months. 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. Alaska Dispatch: What can someone reading about this do in their own life, or change about their own perspective, to make coming forward easier for victims? 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. There, at her friends house, in the middle of the night, she was sexually assaulted by her friends uncle. [8] In November 2009, she published a second book, Living For Today, discussing earlier abuse by her neighbor. "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. Every other headline horrifies the public with another predator taking not just advantage of a child but everything from a child. [3], "I was not educated on not keeping secrets if someone was hurting me. She is the founder of Erin's Law, which is a group advocating for child sexual abuse awareness. When I was six years old, I was sexually abused at a neighbor's house. 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. I wish I could say that Erins story is uncommon, but that is far from the truth its happening right here in our own backyard, Bucco said. She wasn't always successful. They dont warn us about our own family, they dont teach us that in school, her age 12 entry stated. Merryn: What caused me to come forward was unfortunately finding out that my little sister was also being abused. You will be believed.. It allowed me to go on this mission to be a face and voice for millions by letting go of hatred and instead turning pain into a purpose. This decision has brought her on a crusade across America to pass what is known as Erin's Law. Forgiveness set me free. Her name is Erin Merryn and she is the founder of Erins Law. I finally got, after seven months, what I had been looking for: an apology. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.. They never came, so I stayed silent. 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 . 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. One thing my abusers kept telling me was that I had no proof that they were hurting me, so why would anyone believe me? According to Merryn, every school gets the option to pick a Erins Law program, and have an outside agency teach. Erin wrote that letter. Merryn kept her confusion to herself. Author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. 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 was as bewildered as she was frightened. 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. 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. As a young child from 6 to 8 (years old), when the neighbor was abusing me, he warned me if I told anyone he would come get me; he knew where I lived. 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. 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.. [2] The family pressed charges, and the cousin eventually confessed to three counts of child sexual abuse. 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. 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. She is the author of Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Realizing I was not a fault and learning to let go of the guilt. --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. Vermont State Board of Education has required it in schools since 2009. 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. Eventually though the conversation has to shift and that question that I will never forget. 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. Now, thanks to state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, children of the Garden State may soon benefit from Merryns harrowing experience, knowledge and hope. "(It) brings me back to remembering being six-years-old being abused. Alaska Dispatch: You have since spoken up in a big way. Two against one, somebody had to believe us.. The next day they told their parents. (Josh Rultenberg/Spectrum News 1), California Consumer Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, California Consumer Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The Ohio Senate is considering a bill to teach elementary, middle and high school students how to protect themselves from sexual predators, Erins Law is named after Erin Merryn who was sexually abused as a child, Thirty-seven states have passed Erins Law and Merryn has tried three times in seven years to get the bill passed in Ohio, House Bill 105 overwhelmingly passed the Ohio House a year ago. CBS News' Reena Ninan visited a public school in Illinois to see how the school teaches kids about safe . My parents believed me and my cousin Brian confessed to the police, she said. It is my hope hearing my message today youll see the importance of what Im here to talk to you about, said Erin Merryn. Nightmares and flashbacks continued, and she started harming herself. Bad things happen to children all 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. COURIER/JOELLYN CURRY Her older cousin sexually abused her from 11-13 years old. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. Sponsored by Rep. Geran Tarr, D-Anchorage, HB 233 puts Alaska among the states considering "Erin's Law" in 2014. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). Merryn worked with U.S. When Erin Merryn was a child, she was sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a family member. 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. Its somebody they know and trust.. She broke down and cried and said Erin's Law could have saved her as a child, but instead she only got the message from her abuser, who she knew, and stayed silent. Pat Quinn on Thursday signed a new law extending sexual abuse education in Illinois schools. Was this just bad luck? Her testimony was met with a standing ovation. Erins Law soon caught on nationwide. By breaking your silence you are reclaiming your voice. No one is allowed in the bathroom with you not even your friend. Of course I was asked what I was referring to and I said my cousin Brian has been doing bad things. At first, it happened when she was babysitting her younger cousins and their older brother would arrive home before their mother. I pull out my sixth grade DARE card and tell lawmakers I knew the eight ways to say "no" to drugs and have never tried even a cigarette and I am nearly 30 years old. Did anything make you an attractive target, or particularly vulnerable? People would be amazed how many people this really does affect and that they know but have never come forward. Erins Law is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. The look in this mans eyes, the color shirt he was wearing and the last thing he said to me, Dont you dare tell anybody. I sat next to a woman who I had just met moments earlier in the waiting room with my sister and mom. ThediaryIkept my secrets locked away in, where I lost my innocence, I turned into a book mysenior year of high school called Stolen Innocence, because thats whathappened to me, Merryn said. Lawmakers are in the dark about this. Erin Merryn's memoir is about how her life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted."I thought when the abuse stopped I could move on with my life. So far, her story has inspired many kids to speak up about abuse, and that has led to more predators put behind bars. Merryn advocates for sexual abuse victims. Who encouraged you to keep talking, to keep fighting? Erin Merryn is 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. Forgiving him did not mean what he did was right, she stressed. If someone ever does touch you in those areas, you tell immediately., Merryn suggests the books The Swimsuit Lesson and The Right Touch.. Erin Merryn is among the many that came across the story. 2022 Anchorage Daily News. Nightmares. (2016) Consider This Self - Author and Children's Advocate. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Seconds later his hand was down her pants. I will not stop until children in all 50 states are protected from sexual abuse.". Forgiveness is what set me free. I am so confident I will get this law passed in all 50 states, because God has already told me it will happen. The abuse went on for years. It turned out cousin Brian was abusing Merryns little sister, too. 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. At age 17, she attempted suicide. This law requires personal body safety taught to children Pre-K to 12th grade through an age appropriate curriculum. Merryn is an author, activist, and founder of Erin's Law. Merryn: The first thing someone can do is start talking about it. Walking up to a door with so many racing thoughts afraid I was not going to be believed, wondering what I was going to be asked, and so ashamed to even think about sharing the dirty secrets. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. 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 told me, "Your goal is to convince everyone else." It was the first federal bill passed funding sexual abuse prevention education. Thirty-seven states have passed Erins Law and Merryn has tried three times in seven years to get the bill passed in Ohio. Its word for word my diary from the ages of 10 until my senior year of high school. She now runs Carrot's Instagram and shares pictures of Carrot sharing a similar demeanor of her previously owned cat, Bailey. It would be many more years until that voice would become the strong, confident woman that I have become. I came from a good home, two parents, good schools, safe neighborhood, etc. That is just (in) America. From the time my son Jack was around 3, I began having the private parts talk with him. One day, a particular entry she wrote caught her eye. Erin also included the correspondence between her cousin and herself, for readers to also hear the perpetrator's side. I remember reading this thinking, they dont teach us that in school. It is currently passed in 37 states as of January 2021. Im terribly concerned about that, said OBrien. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Erin has worked diligently to lobby every state to pass Erin's Law, beginning with her home state of Illinois in 2009. Erin endured the abuse from age 6 to 8 and from 11 to 13 and felt the long-lasting effects of her guilt, shame and loss of innocence. 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. See all See top. 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. He cornered her in basements, bathrooms and bedrooms, always reminding her that she shouldn't bother telling anyone because no one would believe her. 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. Last week the law passed in two more states, Virginia and Wyoming, bringing the total to 34. He was the father of my best friend. Under Erins Law, the New Jersey Commissioner of Education must provide school districts with age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources designed to implement this requirement. The only message I got as a child came from my abusers and that was to stay silent or else, she said. Should someone have known something was wrong sooner? Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio SenatePrimary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. Again, she started having trouble in school, becoming distant and withdrawn. I remember walking out into the parking lot and feeling this sense of relief.Seven months later I would return back for the first time since my interview to begin a group with other girls who were survivors in January 1999. In 2013, Governor Quinn signed it into law requiring Illinois schools to teach it every single year. 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. Every parent should do their homework before they send their kids anywhere. "He told me, just like in the past by this other perpetrator, 'Erin, this is our . 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 . She also pointed out the real loss of innocence for a child is when they are sexually abused and nothing is done about it. Erin Merryn, A Voice for the Voiceless. Statistics show that one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused by the age of 18. EN RU CN DE ES. 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? He sat down in front of Merryn and put his finger to his lips signaling her to remain quiet. 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]. She knew exactly what she was doing by asking simple questions on my life, friends, what I did for fun, and my family. Child molestation is an epidemic that needs to end now. 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. (See Gary Glitter's sex scandal.). Carrot has 281,000 instagram followers. 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. She has now dedicated her life to protecting our nations children. She is the force behind passing Erin's Law across America. Sharing those details can be difficult because as survivors, they bring us back to the place where we endured the horror. It was a detailed account of how an officer came to her school to talk about stranger danger. We live in a society that doesn't want to even address this issue. InDecember 2015 President Obama signed thefederal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding for schools to use. 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. She urged kids to come forward if they or someone they know is being sexually abused. Call it what it is: penis and vagina.. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. ALBANY, N.Y. - The Independent Democratic Conference was joined today by Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, (D-Bronx), and nationally recognized anti-abuse advocate and survivor Erin Merryn to hail the passage of important legislation to stamp out child sexual abuse in New York. One personal safety lesson learned at school that actually helped me in life was "stranger danger." House Bill 105 overwhelminglypassed the Ohio Housea year ago. 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. Meetings between the two families were called to sort out the problem, to no avail. The bill had already passed the House . Immediately I thought I was being asked this question because she already did not believe me. 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. Do you believe one word is more appropriate than the other? 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. Who were they? There was one good thing about my sister coming forward, she said. 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. 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. Known For. Erin Merryn is the author of three books about surviving incest, including "Living for Today." She also speaks nationally on the subject. COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio Senate is considering a bill to teach elementary, middle and high school students how to protect themselves from sexual predators. 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!" (2012) Fox News Self - Author of 'An Unimaginable Act'. Thats precisely why she does what she does. Check out Erins third book, An Unimagiable Act. This book describes Erins journey across America to get Erins Law passed and resources for survivors, parents, and educators. So be careful sending little Tommy for ice at the machine down the hall and inform teens who often book motels after prom. But then, it started happening behind closed doors at crowded family functions. These can seem like powerful forces to go up against. Here's how to protect your kids from online predators. Read more The same year I was born in 1985 was the first year the development of the first CAC in America was born in Alabama. 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. She is dedicated to taking the stigma and shame away from sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage to speak up as she has. 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." My name is Erin Merryn and I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. 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. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. 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. So I stayed silent. Merryn saidif parents are not comfortable, the bill allows parents toopt their kids out of the education. Since going public 10 years ago, I have had no contact with him. 7Erin Merryn is a Woman of the Year because"She's taken her personal crusade and turned it into a public one. Alaska Dispatch: Do you think most lawmakers meaningfully comprehend the issue of sexual abuse? 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. This went on for a month before police got involved. Merryn said she testified four times for the task force. 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. Well, something shocking happened. 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 . Erins ongoing abuse with her friends uncle was over. 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. She is an activist against child sexual abuse. I think he knew that once he had us conditioned, we were easy targets. She also wantsteachers andstafftrained on the topic. 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 . ", Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. What are the most persistent knowledge gaps? The founder of Erin's Law.

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