Alaska Dispatch: In your quest to get Erin's Law passed in every state, you must have encountered some surprising remarks. Why is it so difficult to talk about? Sunshine and a few clouds. Visit Amazon.au's Erin Merryn Page and shop for all Erin Merryn books. Now she's on a quest to make sure lawmakers across America hear what she has to stay. No one is allowed in the bathroom with you not even your friend. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I met my best friend in kindergarten. Has anything particularly heartened you? MORE: Moms and dads, can we talk about stranger danger? 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. I went to bed night after night crying into my pillow having nightmares, and keeping my secrets locked away in my childhood diary., Merryn found her voice at 13 when her younger sister said the words shell never forget: Brians gross!. Here's a glimpse of her life and why she's on a quest for social change. But instead of telling everyone to vote against it, she told everyone to vote in support of this bill. The revelation caused tension in the family. 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. 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. 46 reviews. On Thursday, Quinn signed "Erin's Law" at the Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County in Hoffman Estates. Merryn (whose other books are Stolen Innocence and Living for Today), the mother of a toddler girl, says this is a conversation parents must have every year and often. 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. Unfortunately for many survivors they never see their perpetrators held accountable. 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. She is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for . 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. Its somebody they know and trust.. The fact that a motel is not telling families that sex offenders are living there should be a crime, Merryn said. She is the force behind passing Erin's Law across America. (See Gary Glitter's sex scandal.). In April, 2010, Illinois State Senator Tim Bivins agreed to meet with Erin and he became the first state legislator to sponsor Erins Law. Since that first meeting, Erin has met with hundreds of state legislators, testified dozens of times in front of State Senate and House committees, served on several committees to draft bills and implement the new laws, plus speaks regularly to schools, agencies, conferences and media nationwide. As an adult, she's reclaimed the voice her abusers tried to silence. Instead I am still running from Brian. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. You seem incredibly resilient. Choosing to forgive has led me to live for today.. My goal in life is to give a voice to the voiceless and put these predators out of business, she said. We live in a society that keeps it hushed and (there is) so much taboo around it; people are afraid to speak up and say this happened to them. 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. Carrot has 281,000 instagram followers. 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. 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. I finally got, after seven months, what I had been looking for: an apology. It is currently passed in 37 states as of January 2021. 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. Since going public 10 years ago, I have had no contact with him. 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." COURIER/JOELLYN CURRY EN. Children are taught that the police are their to keep their communities safe and lock up the bad people. Hes grown into quite the little man and doesnt want me near the bathroom when he showers or gets dressed and I respect that. "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. When Merryn eventually confided in Ashley about what had happened, her friend was not surprised; in fact, the scene was depressingly familiar to her. Erins Law soon caught on nationwide. Unfortunately, children who are abused once are at even higher risk of being abused again by someone else because they are vulnerable and easy to prey on. But only 1 in every 10 sexually abused children ever tell anyone about it. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erin's Law. 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. Merryn says a few months ago, a local . My sister and I were the only girls that he was around all the time. The first abuser, our neighbor, is someone I think who did this to any girl he had access to. Use safe and unsafe touch. 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. I will come get you, I know where you live, Erin recalled. The school, community organization, day care center, etc. Who encouraged you to keep talking, to keep fighting? Merryn lay on blankets on the floor next to Ashley, who was in her bed. There was one good thing about my sister coming forward, she said. 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. 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. 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. 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. The two families have ceased having contact. Alaska Dispatch: You have since spoken up in a big way. She earned a master's degree from Aurora University in social work. Before . When she is traveling to state capitols or speaking engagements she is entertaining her 270,000Instagram followers that follow her famous cat. 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. They dont warn us about our own family, they dont teach us that in school, her age 12 entry stated. Merryn: I was terrified. Thats precisely why she does what she does. 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. 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.. Erin's Law has passed in 21 states and is pending in 22 others. 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 . She has now dedicated her life to protecting our nations children. 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. I just wanted to get it over with.She was a forensic interviewer who had been trained to interview children who had reported abuse. But when it came to being sexually abused, there was nothing. You didn't just tell one person. After an evening of playing with Ashley's dollhouse and watching The Little Mermaid, the girls went to bed in Ashley's room. I really open lawmakers' eyes when I share this with them. She began to think about all the other prevention classes and drills she learned in school: how to say no to drugs, what to do in case of a fire, what to do in case of a tornado, how to never answer the door if parents arent home. After reading that letter, a switch flipped inside Erin. 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. All rights reserved. I will fight alongside Erin and the advocates right here in our community until the day that this lifesaving legislation finally becomes law.. Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). Merryn: My resilience took a lot of psychological help growing up as a kid, teen, and young adult. We've had an unprecedented change for our Gingerbread House Partners in Prevention 2021 Luncheon and we couldn't be more excited! Alaska Dispatch: When you decided to confront and start corresponding with your cousin, how did it go at first? Victims of abuse know their perpetrators 80% to 90% of the time, says David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. She wanted him to know how much his actions had affected her life. 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. See her personal website at ErinMerryn.net. [3], She graduated from Schaumburg High School in 2004[4] and earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Western Illinois University in 2008. Alaska Dispatch: When you broke your silence and spoke up, was it frightening? 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. 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. Wow, I have a decision to make. In 2013, Governor Quinn signed it into law requiring Illinois schools to teach it every single year. COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio Senate is considering a bill to teach elementary, middle and high school students how to protect themselves from sexual predators. Erin Merryn (Author) Format: Kindle Edition See all formats and editions Kindle $12.99 Read with Our Free App Paperback $16.10 35 Used from $2.70 5 New from $12.50 Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. One personal safety lesson learned at school that actually helped me in life was "stranger danger." When Erin Merryn was a child, she was sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a family member. She was afraid she would be a burden to her cousin and that no one would believe her. 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. 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. Usually, the abuse isnt at the hands of a stranger, rather someone they know and trust. When I look at you, I see nothing but scum. Alaska Dispatch: Thank you for reminding us that abuse happens across all socioeconomic conditions. Sexually abused as a. 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: I have witnessed some lawmakers come in voting against the bill who got on their mic after hearing me testify and (told) me they had all planned to vote against this bill and that my testimony changed their mind. Call it what it is: penis and vagina.. 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]. But her nightmare was just beginning. Sharing those details can be difficult because as survivors, they bring us back to the place where we endured the horror. Donors may not deduct contributions made to Erins Law under IRC Section 170 (c) (2). 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. 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. Author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today But where were the eight ways on how to "get away and tell today?" (Read why most child abuse goes unreported). With every passing week, and with every visit, Erin gets closer to her goal. Erin said he would occasionally downplay what he did, but he never denied it. Partly cloudy. Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio SenatePrimary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. So far 27 states have passed Erins Law since 2010. Again, she started having trouble in school, becoming distant and withdrawn. Merryn: There is so much shame and stigma attached to sexual abuse. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. Visit sheriffalerts.com to find out if there are sex offenders in your area. We need to start teaching kids this, she said. 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. 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. The first episode began on a warm May night in 1991. But both she and her sister did tell their stories. 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. Chris Newlin - National Children's Advocacy Center Was this just bad luck? The law was passed in a number of states,[7] with New York becoming the 37th in 2019. Names were the only thing she changed. Now I have somebody I love and trust abusing me," Merryn said. The only message I got as a child came from my abusers and that was to stay silent or else, she said. Do you still stay in contact with him? It is my hope hearing my message today youll see the importance of what Im here to talk to you about, said Erin Merryn. Look out for motels that might house sex offenders. 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. [3], "I was not educated on not keeping secrets if someone was hurting me. 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. 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. ABC News agreed to use her pen name and a false name for the man she says abused her. CBS News' Reena Ninan visited a public school in Illinois to see how the school teaches kids about safe . Maryland is the latest state, joining the crusade last month. Little did I realize, that by moving, I was getting that much closer to the next perpetrator in my life, she said. ", Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. One day, a particular entry she wrote caught her eye. Today there are more then 700 Children Advocacy Centers in America and millions of children have walked through those doors.Before there were CAC's children were interviewed numerous times in places such as police stations. 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. These monsters are living in all of our backyards., (Tip: Offender Locator is a great app to have on your smart phone.). It was just the beginning of a long journey. 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. 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. As I describe in my books, that center was the foundation of my healing. 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. 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. Did you have a helper or helpers in your life? (2013) I found hope and healing there and people that believed me. Alaska Dispatch: Do you think most lawmakers meaningfully comprehend the issue of sexual abuse? She was abused. Merryn now had a duty as a big sister to protect her younger sibling. Merryn kept her confusion to herself. She also wantsteachers andstafftrained on the topic. 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. 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. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erins Law. Erin wrote that letter. 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 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. She urged kids to come forward if they or someone they know is being sexually abused. Her dad singled me out during the party. 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! 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. I left all the fragmented sentences, misspelled words, because I wanted readers to hear the voice of a young child.. 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Alaska's version of Erin's Law is currently under consideration by the Alaska State Legislature as House Bill 233. "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." Children must be taught to tell a trusted adult if anyone touches their private parts. I found (the) freedom and peace I had longed for. Erin Merryn Mar 2004 - Present18 years 7 months Chicago, IL Erin is an author, writer, and activist. 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. She shows no signs of fatigue, and she seems ready. Do you know if it was as healing for him as it was for you? 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 . The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. According to Merryn, every school gets the option to pick a Erins Law program, and have an outside agency teach. EN RU CN DE ES. [8] In November 2009, she published a second book, Living For Today, discussing earlier abuse by her neighbor. 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. Her friend slept through the assault, and Merryn remained silent. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. The law has now passed in 37 states. He cornered her in basements, bathrooms and bedrooms, always reminding her that she shouldn't bother telling anyone because no one would believe her. Erin Elizabeth had cheerful holidays turned into a fight to protect herself from evil where she often lost. 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. Download it here. Every parent should do their homework before they send their kids anywhere. Erin Merryn, a sexual abuse survivor, applauds Stewart for making her story public. But nobody asked those important questions. 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. Merryn realized he had been molesting her sister too. The cousin used the same tactic as her first abuser telling her no one would believe her and there was no proof. 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. . Around the time we were getting ready to move away, my friend had a birthday party. She is dedicated to taking the stigma and shame away from sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage to speak up as she has. All rights reserved. Erin's Law is the first US child sexual abuse prevention education law requiring children be educated in schools. Merryn is an author, activist, and founder of Erin's Law. I was told repeatedly by my cousin that I had no proof, that he would deny it, that no one would believe me. Illinois is the first state by law to mandate Erins Law. 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.. Merryn: I reclaimed my voice in the Children's Advocacy Center. My abuse first happened at weeks shy of my seventh birthday by a neighbor it went on until age 8 and a half. 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. Erin Merryn is an author (Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, An Unimaginable Act), activist, and founder of Erin's Law. 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. Erin Merryn is a powerful speaker and advocate for countless, faceless children and adults in our country who have similarly suffered sexual abuse. 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. 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