Here's a glimpse of her life and why she's on a quest for social change. We need to start teaching kids this, she said. She was named Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year in 2012 and a People magazine Hero Among Us for her tireless work promoting Erin's Law nationwide with a mission to our keep children safe by educating them about personal body safety. Her courage breaking her silence allowed me to take a stand for both of us and be brave and tell her we can't keep this a secret, that we have to tell our parents. Now, thanks to state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, children of the Garden State may soon benefit from Merryns harrowing experience, knowledge and hope. Choosing to forgive has led me to live for today.. Choosing to forgive has led me to live for today. COURIER/JOELLYN CURRY I feel it would have given me the voice that these men took from me. 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 ability to forgive both my abusers set me free and gave me my voice back and the strength to speak out for others. That is what brought Erin to tell her story at Metamora Township High School last Monday afternoon, during an all-school assembly. He got us quiet and continued to get away with it. I was a senior in high school when I published my first book, my childhood diary where I kept my secrets of abuse with my cousin locked away. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Merryn now. 5 talking about this. (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. 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. In 2013, Governor Quinn signed it into law requiring Illinois schools to teach it every single year. 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. 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. Erin Merryn, A Voice for the Voiceless. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. According to Merryn, every school gets the option to pick a Erins Law program, and have an outside agency teach. Erin wanted nothing more than to make him feel the hurt that she did. 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. The two continued to correspond for seven months. Forgiveness set me free. If you tell anybody, you will destroy our family, she said.. Merryn now had a duty as a big sister to protect her younger sibling. Erin's Law has passed in 21 states and is pending in 22 others. Thinking she had finally escaped the endless sexual abuse, Merryn, the keynote speaker at the Sept. 26 luncheon, was once again sexually abused by a cousin beginning at the age of 11 at a family home in Lake Geneva. Alaska Dispatch: In your quest to get Erin's Law passed in every state, you must have encountered some surprising remarks. Erin Merryn, a sexual abuse survivor, applauds Stewart for making her story public. I finally got, after seven months, what I had been looking for: an apology. My sister and I both left with stuffed animals and feeling like our secret was now in good hands. After graduating with Bachelors and Masters Degrees in social work from Western Illinois and Aurora Universities in 2008 and 2009, Health Communications published her second book, Living for Today: From Incest and Molestation to Fearlessness and Forgiveness. Erin says she believes everyone is born with a purpose and she has found hers through the events that have occurred in her life. [3], She graduated from Schaumburg High School in 2004[4] and earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Western Illinois University in 2008. It would be many more years until that voice would become the strong, confident woman that I have become. When I was six years old, I was sexually abused at a neighbor's house. Sharing those details can be difficult because as survivors, they bring us back to the place where we endured the horror. Merryn advocates for sexual abuse victims. Her testimony was met with a standing ovation. 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 . I think he knew that once he had us conditioned, we were easy targets. 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. Her older cousin sexually abused her from 11-13 years old. Buccos bill requires all school districts to incorporate age-appropriate sexual abuse awareness and prevention education in grades preschool through 12 as part of Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. She was honored for her efforts in 2012 as one of Glamour Magazines 2012 Women of the Year. At age 17, she attempted suicide. 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!" She was abused. I was abused. So began her fight to bring this epidemic to the forefront, to push for every state to implement a prevention-oriented child sex-abuse program that teaches parents and school personnel how to recognize the signs of sexual abuse, and teaches kids from Kindergarten through twelfth grades techniques on how to also acknowledge abuse and tell a trusted adult. 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. A place I went to with my eleven year old sister and mother. The law has now passed in 37 states. Merryn: I reclaimed my voice in the Children's Advocacy Center. Merryn is an author, activist, and founder of Erin's Law. Did you have a helper or helpers in your life? Little did I know by moving I was getting that much closer to my next abuser. It is currently passed in 37 states as of January 2021. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. CBN News Self - Children's Advocate. Erin decided at a young age to take a stand against evil and expose the silent epidemic of child sexual abuse in the spotlight. EN RU CN DE ES. After describing the difference between the truth and a lie I was asked if I agreed to tell the truth that day. In 2013 Governor Quinn signed Erins Law mandating child sexual abuse education in all Illinois public schools. After graduating, Erin went on to earn her Masters degree in social work, but from time to time she would still consult her little pink childhood diary. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. Check out pictures, bibliography, and biography of Erin Merryn 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. Is there anything about your life circumstances that you think made you a target? 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. 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. 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. 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. Realizing I was not a fault and learning to let go of the guilt. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) During her quest,. Named by PEOPLE Magazine a HEROES Among us and one of fifteen women changing the world. But where were the eight ways on how to "get away and tell today?" 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." 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. Merryn's experiences belie the more common parental fears of "stranger danger." So be careful sending little Tommy for ice at the machine down the hall and inform teens who often book motels after prom. I found myself locked in bedrooms, basements, bathrooms, a car, garage and repeatedly assaulted by my cousin.. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. 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. Its somebody they know and trust.. 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. She is the author of Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Little did I realize, that by moving, I was getting that much closer to the next perpetrator in my life, she said. Merryn: There is so much shame and stigma attached to sexual abuse. Eventually, her parents and sisters moved to another town, closer to family. Merryn didn't tell anyone until she was 13 and she suspected her sister was also being abused. 2019 TIME USA, LLC. Alaska Dispatch: Let's talk about two words we hear a lot when covering sexual abuse stories: victim and survivor. 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. It was so brutal I thought I was dying, Merryn, Glamour magazines 2012 Woman of the Year, recalled in an interview with the Asbury Park Press. [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 was keeping this secret with my best friend because he was also abusing her, Merryn said. Jill Burke is a former writer and columnist for Alaska Dispatch News. 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. We live in a society that doesn't want to even address this issue. The reality is, 93 percent of the time it is not strangers that are hurting kids. This fundraiser is organized by Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (Caase). (See Gary Glitter's sex scandal.). The founder of Erin's Law. 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." 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. 2022 Anchorage Daily News. 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. Putting the lives of children in danger and possibly taking their innocence is worth it? The abuse went on for years. For the next hour I relived as much as I was capable of sharing and just kept finding myself focusing on the large mirror having no clue their was a detective on the other side listening to my entire story and am very glad I did not know. Erins Law has now going international with judge in Kerala India requiring Erins Law in the 2023-2024 school year. Her dad had to sit down and have a tough conversation with his sister, and denial followed. 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? Unthinkable acts. 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. They talked for hours about what had happened, and the next day told their parents about their shared horror. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Well, something shocking happened. Sexually abused as a. 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. 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. In 2010, Merryn began a crusade to get Erin's Law passed across America. Merryn worked with U.S. There was one good thing about my sister coming forward, she said. She was also afraid she would lose her innocence. Merryn said the abuse only stopped because her family moved away. Why is it so difficult to talk about? Nightmares and flashbacks continued, and she started harming herself. By breaking your silence you are reclaiming your voice. IG: The_Cat_Named_Carrot.Ellen is Carrot's biggest fan. Alaska Dispatch: When you decided to confront and start corresponding with your cousin, how did it go at first? Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Merryn, then 6, was excited about her first sleepover with her kindergarten classmate Ashley. She started by pulling out that little pink diary. She is dedicated to taking the stigma and shame away from sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage to speak up as she has. 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. 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. Erin Merryn testified Tuesday in an Ohio Senate committee about 'Erin's Law.' 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. She is an activist against child sexual abuse. EN. The first abuser, our neighbor, is someone I think who did this to any girl he had access to. 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 told me, just like in the past by this other perpetrator, 'Erin, this is our . This representative did get on her mic. Alaska Dispatch: Do you think most lawmakers meaningfully comprehend the issue of sexual abuse? Read more about Erins Law at www.erinslaw.org, or about Erin herself at www.erinmerryn.net. 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. This went on for a month before police got involved. She published a book called Bailey No Ordinary Cat that showcases Bailey's unusually gentle interactions with her three children. She explained to her cousin that she didnt want to publish it out of revenge, rather to help the millions of other sexual assault survivors. How do we lessen the control these pressures have on ourselves, our loved ones? Pat Quinn on Thursday signed a new law extending sexual abuse education in Illinois schools. 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. The law was passed in a number of states,[7] with New York becoming the 37th in 2019. Every other headline horrifies the public with another predator taking not just advantage of a child but everything from a child. What factors came together for you to be able to not only overcome what happened, but to also thrive? Two against one, somebody had to believe us.. 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. If someone ever does touch you in those areas, you tell immediately., Merryn suggests the books The Swimsuit Lesson and The Right Touch.. I was told repeatedly by my cousin that I had no proof, that he would deny it, that no one would believe me. Therapists (and) an amazing school psychologist in high school really helped me heal. Survivors need to know they have nothing to be ashamed of. As for Merryn, today shes married, the mother of an almost 2 year old, and expecting her second child in eight weeks. Gov. 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. My sister and I were the only girls that he was around all the time. So I stayed silent. Someone should have known in my earlier years when I was being abused by an adult neighbor. (2013) CNN Newsroom Self - Child Abuse Survivor. As the abuse continued, and as she was forced to see her abuser over and over again in social situations, she struggled with . Merryn suffered sexual abuse by a male neighbor at ages six to eight[2] and by a teenage cousin at ages 11 to 13. Immediately I thought I was being asked this question because she already did not believe me. 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 Merryn is among the many that came across the story. Forgiveness is what set me free. Merryn lay on blankets on the floor next to Ashley, who was in her bed. Illinois is the fifth state to pass Erin's Law since she took up the cause. One personal safety lesson learned at school that actually helped me in life was "stranger danger." But Ashley begged her not to say anything because Richard had told her they would "lose the house" if the girls told anyone. But what followed was depression,an eating disorder and a suicide attempt. After Bailey's passing, she adopted a kitten named Carrot. ABC News agreed to use her pen name and a false name for the man she says abused her. The next steps for the bill remain unknown. Eleven states have passed the legislation. You will be believed.. 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. 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 . I remember being so utterly confused.. He cornered her in basements, bathrooms and bedrooms, always reminding her that she shouldn't bother telling anyone because no one would believe her. 7Erin Merryn is a Woman of the Year because"She's taken her personal crusade and turned it into a public one. Statistics show that one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused by the age of 18. 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.. These can seem like powerful forces to go up against. I remember reading this thinking, they dont teach us that in school. Erin said he would occasionally downplay what he did, but he never denied it. 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. I really open lawmakers' eyes when I share this with them. Has anything particularly heartened you? 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. Every parent should do their homework before they send their kids anywhere. The words of my cousin began haunting me. 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. 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. I just figured I told my mom, and I never had to talk about this again. Merryn: The first thing someone can do is start talking about it. Acting out both at home and in school, she was given an IEP (Individual Education Plan) and was told she was just going through a phase; that her parents brief separation was the probable root cause. The Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County Illinois. From the time my son Jack was around 3, I began having the private parts talk with him. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erins Law. 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. Erin's Law is the first US child sexual abuse prevention education law requiring children be educated in schools. With every passing week, and with every visit, Erin gets closer to her goal. The case never went to trial, and Brian received some counseling, but no punishment. 25 $. The book is titled "Stolen Innocence." The bill had already passed the House . 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. (2016) Consider This Self - Author and Children's Advocate. He was the father of my best friend. After an evening of playing with Ashley's dollhouse and watching The Little Mermaid, the girls went to bed in Ashley's room. So far 27 states have passed Erins Law since 2010. The man had threatened Merryn that hed hurt her more if she told anyone. It was the first federal bill passed funding sexual abuse prevention education. Look out for motels that might house sex offenders. Are you afraid you will lose business? The legislation, "Erin Merryn's Law," (S.6182 Klein/ A.8993 Dinowitz), would require schools to make a change to their . Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. Do you still stay in contact with him? No one is allowed in the bathroom with you not even your friend. Merryn: This wasn't bad luck. [3], "I was not educated on not keeping secrets if someone was hurting me. 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. See the sex abuse in Israel's ultra-orthodox community. 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. Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio SenatePrimary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. In the end, he was given seven years of probation, 1,000 hours of community service, he attended a two-year sex offender program, and couldnt come within 100 feet of Erin or her sister. Ill never be abused again, its just all gonna go away.. 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