So I stayed silent. 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 . But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. The bill had already passed the House . This decision has brought her on a crusade across America to pass what is known as Erin's Law. 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. InDecember 2015 President Obama signed thefederal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding for schools to use. 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. Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. 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. She published a book called Bailey No Ordinary Cat that showcases Bailey's unusually gentle interactions with her three children. 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. She is an activist against child sexual abuse. By speaking up even when family is against the idea, it is freedom for a survivor and allows them to reclaim a piece of their lives back. This went on for a month before police got involved. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. The first abuser, our neighbor, is someone I think who did this to any girl he had access to. Merryn suffered sexual abuse by a male neighbor at ages six to eight[2] and by a teenage cousin at ages 11 to 13. [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. Erin, a Chicago-area native, first introduced the legislation in Illinois, and the bill was given her namesake. Nightmares. Merryn: I cover these two words in my second book, "Living for Today." 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. She is not ashamed of the sexual abuse she endured as a child and, instead, feels inspired to put a face and voice on childhood sexual abuse. With every passing week, and with every visit, Erin gets closer to her goal. The revelation caused tension in the family. But when it came to being sexually abused, there was nothing. 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. I had only ever been told no one (would) believe me, I feared ruining our large extended family when they learned a family member (teenage cousin) was molesting my sister and I. Sixteen years ago, on March 29, 1998, my sister broke her silence to me. "I just stared at the ceiling waiting for it to end." My parents believed me and my cousin Brian confessed to the police, she said. As for Merryn, today shes married, the mother of an almost 2 year old, and expecting her second child in eight weeks. There, at her friends house, in the middle of the night, she was sexually assaulted by her friends uncle. Forgiveness set me free. This fundraiser is organized by Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (Caase). Do I know the difference between the truth and a lie? Erin's Law is the first US child sexual abuse prevention education law requiring children be educated in schools. I came from a good home, two parents, good schools, safe neighborhood, etc. This law requires personal body safety taught to children Pre-K to 12th grade through an age appropriate curriculum. It is my hope hearing my message today youll see the importance of what Im here to talk to you about, said Erin Merryn. 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. Alaska Dispatch: You were preyed upon not once, but twice (two different abusers during different stages of childhood). She shows no signs of fatigue, and she seems ready. 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. 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. 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. He threatened her to stay silent so she kept her secrets locked away in her childhood diary. 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. Donors may not deduct contributions made to Erins Law under IRC Section 170 (c) (2). Alaska Dispatch: Do you think most lawmakers meaningfully comprehend the issue of sexual abuse? 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. Seconds later his hand was down her pants. The voice that was silenced for so long. 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. The reality is, 93 percent of the time it is not strangers that are hurting kids. When I was six years old, I was sexually abused at a neighbor's house. One day, a particular entry she wrote caught her eye. Maryland is the latest state, joining the crusade last month. She was afraid she would be a burden to her cousin and that no one would believe her. Instead I am still running from Brian. 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. Then, Erin said she told her family too. 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. The next steps for the bill remain unknown. Here's a glimpse of her life and why she's on a quest for social change. Learn More. Alaska Dispatch: In your quest to get Erin's Law passed in every state, you must have encountered some surprising remarks. She is the force behind passing Erin's Law across America. 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. This representative did get on her mic. 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. 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. There was one good thing about my sister coming forward, she said. 25 $. (2013) CNN Newsroom Self - Child Abuse Survivor. Instead I am still running from Brian. 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. But her nightmare was just beginning. 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. Erin's Law was the first law passed in the United States requiring sexual abuse prevention education to be taught to students in school every year, and it was subsequently passed in 38 U.S. states before being signed into federal law. What once caused her shame, and something she never wanted to talk about, she now found herself wanting to turn it into a book. (2013) I didnt want to talk to anyone about this. 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. Eventually, her parents and sisters moved to another town, closer to family. Alaska Dispatch: You have since spoken up in a big way. 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. Lawmakers are in the dark about this. 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. And a third girl I know was also abused by him. 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. Names were the only thing she changed. It was taught every year, and when a creepy van pulled up when I was 12 having a lemonade and the man put his hand out the window asking me to take the change those lessons immediately played back in my mind. Around the time we were getting ready to move away, my friend had a birthday party. "Alabama needs this law because just like everywhere else in America . Merryn says starting when she was six, she was sexually abused by a neighbor, then at 11 by an older cousin. 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. Alaska Dispatch: So often we hear about "helpers" who encouraged a victim to come forward, or reported for him or her. Erin Merryn speaks with enthusiasm, rattling off the list of trips around the globe, the hours of research and meetings promoting her cause. I was abused. Read more about Erin Merryn on her Erin's Law Facebook page and her website. Little did I realize, that by moving, I was getting that much closer to the next perpetrator in my life, she said. 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. Erins Law encourages research based curriculum, Merryn said. 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. Alaska Dispatch: Would something like what you are proposing -- Erin's Law -- have helped you? But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. How do you identify? I found hope and healing there and people that believed me. You have permission to edit this article. My mission, through this legislation, is to educate children on what I never learned. I also encourage parents to have a code word with their kids, she said. Two days later, their cousin was brought into the police station. 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. Erin has been traveling state to state testifying to lawmakers to pass Erin's law for 7 years. The place Erin reclaimed her voice and began her journey to healing. When I look at you, I see nothing but scum. 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. Merryn said the abuse only stopped because her family moved away. Buccos legislation has received support from prominent victims rights advocates and support organizations, including Morris County advocate Richard Pompelio; and Patrice Lenowitz, founder and executive director of The Nurtured Parent Support Group for Survivors of Domestic Abuse, a Bergen County organization serving survivors and protective parents across the state. 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. Alaska's version of Erin's Law is currently under consideration by the Alaska State Legislature as House Bill 233. Merryn is an author, activist, and founder of Erin's Law. 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. The only education I ever received about sexual abuse was when I became a victim, and the abusers threatened bad things would happen if I ever told. "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." Merryn, then 6, was excited about her first sleepover with her kindergarten classmate Ashley. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. But then, it started happening behind closed doors at crowded family functions. 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. Download it here. Those were just the number of children who broke their silence that year. In 2010, Merryn began a crusade to get Erin's Law passed across America. But nobody asked those important questions. (2012) Fox News Self - Author of 'An Unimaginable Act'. The areas covered by your swimsuit are not for anyone to be touching, unless mommy and daddy are helping you with a bath. That's where, 14 years ago, a then-13-year-old Erin Merryn first . But nothing prepared her for two traumatizing events that have turned Merryn, now 25, into an activist, determined to prevent the same thing from happening to other children. Visit sheriffalerts.com to find out if there are sex offenders in your area. Children must be taught to tell a trusted adult if anyone touches their private parts. EN RU CN DE ES. However, Merryn said this time the perpetrator was an older cousin, someone she had viewed as a brother figure. 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. Now, thanks to state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, children of the Garden State may soon benefit from Merryns harrowing experience, knowledge and hope. The only message I got as a child came from my abusers and that was to stay silent or else, she said. I feel it would have given me the voice that these men took from me. will then mail or hand the parents or responsible adult family member the Megans Law information. Did you have a helper or helpers in your life? After describing the difference between the truth and a lie I was asked if I agreed to tell the truth that day. My sister and I both left with stuffed animals and feeling like our secret was now in good hands. She was abused. 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. That is what brought Erin to tell her story at Metamora Township High School last Monday afternoon, during an all-school assembly. 5 talking about this. 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. By breaking your silence you are reclaiming your voice. 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. Erin Merryn is an author, activist, speaker, wife, and mom to young human children and a fur baby named Bailey. These monsters are living in all of our backyards., (Tip: Offender Locator is a great app to have on your smart phone.). She is an activist against child sexual abuse as well as the founder of Erin's Law, which requires public schools to teach children personal body safety in order to prevent child sexual abuse. 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. The Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County Illinois. 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. My name is Erin Merryn and I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. The law has now passed in 37 states. 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.. 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. 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 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. In just a few short years, she has already persuaded half the countryto pass similar versions of the law. Sharing those details can be difficult because as survivors, they bring us back to the place where we endured the horror. Victims are those who don't survive. My question to hotel or motel management would be, Why not tell? But instead of telling everyone to vote against it, she told everyone to vote in support of this bill. "Erin's Law" is named after Schaumburg native and activist Erin Merryn. [3], She graduated from Schaumburg High School in 2004[4] and earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Western Illinois University in 2008. Here's how to protect your kids from online predators. Merryn didn't tell anyone until she was 13 and she suspected her sister was also being abused. 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]. 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 . What if their family is pressuring them to just keep quiet and get on with their life? We need to start teaching kids this, she said. After an evening of playing with Ashley's dollhouse and watching The Little Mermaid, the girls went to bed in Ashley's room. 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 . Visit Amazon.au's Erin Merryn Page and shop for all Erin Merryn books. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. He continued to abuse her on and off for nearly two years, she says, often at holidays and celebrations with her close-knit extended family. No one would believe me, she recalls this man telling her. 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. 2022 Anchorage Daily News. On Thursday, Quinn signed "Erin's Law" at the Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County in Hoffman Estates. You seem incredibly resilient. Please join Erin Merryn in her crusade to protect children from sexual abuse and donate to help her with her travel expenses today! If you tell anybody, you will destroy our family, she said.. Erin Merryn is a 21-year-old college sophomore who wrote a book, "Stolen Innocence: Memoir," about her struggles after she claims she was molested by her first cousin. 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. She has now dedicated her life to protecting our nations children. Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. Do you know if it was as healing for him as it was for you? Merryn: I reclaimed my voice in the Children's Advocacy Center. According to the Office of the Monmouth County Prosecutors website, the only time that Megans Law information will be released to parents or families of students is if the school receives a Tier III high risk notice concerning an offender living within a 1,000-foot radius of their location. 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. So far 27 states have passed Erins Law since 2010. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. Again, she was told to keep quiet, that no one would believe her if she said anything and that she had no proof. MORE: Moms and dads, can we talk about stranger danger? Product Details Resources and Downloads Stolen Innocence Triumphing Over a Childhood Broken by Abuse: A Memoir By Erin Merryn Published by Health Communications Inc EB Distributed by Simon & Schuster LIST PRICE $12.99 PRICE MAY VARY BY RETAILER Get a FREE ebook by joining our mailing list today! They dont warn us about our own family, they dont teach us that in school, her age 12 entry stated. 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. Putting the lives of children in danger and possibly taking their innocence is worth it? A judge did sentenced her cousin to probation and counseling. So before CAC's a child brought to a police station could be filled with anxiety and fear that they are in trouble. How did you find this voice? MORE: Cancer-surviving mom stays strong for her son. The man, then in his late 20s, abused her several more times in the next year, including, she says, raping her during a daytime visit when she thought he wouldn't be home. 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. --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. It was a detailed account of how an officer came to her school to talk about stranger danger. A week later, she got a reply. ABC News agreed to use her pen name and a false name for the man she says abused her. I found (the) freedom and peace I had longed for. Merryn lay on blankets on the floor next to Ashley, who was in her bed. 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. Have there been times in your life when haven't done well? The abuse continued and Erin struggled with the secret that hung over her, a secret that eventually destroyed a family and took Erin's innocence. Its somebody they know and trust.. People would be amazed how many people this really does affect and that they know but have never come forward. How do we lessen the control these pressures have on ourselves, our loved ones? Im terribly concerned about that, said OBrien. Known For. Of course I was asked what I was referring to and I said my cousin Brian has been doing bad things. 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." 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. She is the founder of Erin's Law, which requires public schools to teach children personal body safety on the prevention of child sexual ab The next day they told their parents. Erin Merryn is a powerful speaker and advocate for countless, faceless children and adults in our country who have similarly suffered sexual abuse. Who encouraged you to keep talking, to keep fighting? After Bailey's passing, she adopted a kitten named Carrot. 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. 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