I am a survivor. So many children will be protected because of her." This representative did get on her mic. 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. She is the founder of Erin's Law, which is a group advocating for child sexual abuse awareness. From the age of 11 to 13, I was repeatedly sexually abused at the hands of a family member, an older cousin, she said. He was the father of my best friend. The girls were brought to a Children's Advocacy Center where they had to tell their stories to complete strangers, something Erin wasnt looking forward to at all. 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. Motel management is NOT obligated to tell guests sex offenders are next door. Merryn: Yes. Erin Merryn, A Voice for the Voiceless. EN. The same year I was born in 1985 was the first year the development of the first CAC in America was born in Alabama. Do you believe one word is more appropriate than the other? Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I met my best friend in kindergarten. Who were they? It would have given me courage to know that I didn't have to live in constant fear that they could hurt me, and hurt me even worse if I told anyone. What do you think made him want to apologize, finally? Merryn kept her confusion to herself. 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. She was also afraid she would lose her innocence. Through her speeches and books, Erin is an inspiration to professionals working daily to fight child abuse. "Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I met my best friend in kindergarten. Now she's on a quest to make sure lawmakers across America hear what she has to stay. Sexually abused as a. February 7, 2023 by Cindy Erin Merryn is a Global Advocate for Child Sex Abuse Prevention For years, Erin Merryn was too scared to speak up about sexual abuse. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. He was given probation and counseling., Forgiveness is what set me free, she said. Nightmares and flashbacks continued, and she started harming herself. 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. 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 remember reading this thinking, they dont teach us that in school. House Bill 105 overwhelminglypassed the Ohio Housea year ago. Throughout her school years, Erin Merryn of Schaumburg, Ill., received plenty of lessons in the dangers her elders thought she could encounter during her childhood. "Erin's Law" is named after Schaumburg native and activist Erin Merryn. So before CAC's a child brought to a police station could be filled with anxiety and fear that they are in trouble. For so many years I stayed angry and bitter towards him. Someone should have known in my earlier years when I was being abused by an adult neighbor. CBS News' Reena Ninan visited a public school in Illinois to see how the school teaches kids about safe . It allowed me to let go of the bitterness, anger and rage I had toward him and find the freedom and peace I longed for and the ability to turn this painful event into something positive. Forgiveness set me free. 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. 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. 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 will not stop until children in all 50 states are protected from sexual abuse.". See the sex abuse in Israel's ultra-orthodox community. How I wondered am I suppose to tell this stranger my pain when I am too ashamed to even talk in detail with my parents about it. She urged kids to come forward if they or someone they know is being sexually abused. EN RU CN DE ES. What are the most persistent knowledge gaps? 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. Alaska Dispatch: Would something like what you are proposing -- Erin's Law -- have helped you? 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. Merryn: This wasn't bad luck. My name is Erin Merryn and I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. 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. Again, she started having trouble in school, becoming distant and withdrawn. The brilliant minds behind putting in place a center that had a home away from home feeling to give children a sense of security and comfort.At thirteen was the age I walked through the CAC. The bill had already passed the House . 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. 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? 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. 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. How did you find this voice? "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 is an author, activist, and founder of Erin's Law. My question to hotel or motel management would be, Why not tell? I found (the) freedom and peace I had longed for. MORE: Monmouth U. faces federal sexual assault case. 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. After an evening of playing with Ashley's dollhouse and watching The Little Mermaid, the girls went to bed in Ashley's room. 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. Putting the lives of children in danger and possibly taking their innocence is worth it? Here's a glimpse of her life and why she's on a quest for social change. With every passing week, and with every visit, Erin gets closer to her goal. My abuse first happened at weeks shy of my seventh birthday by a neighbor it went on until age 8 and a half. See all See top. The two families have ceased having contact. "A Child's Best Defense Is Her Voice. 2019 TIME USA, LLC. But when it came to being sexually abused, there was nothing. The parents can then share the information that the schools provided with anyone else in their household. I sat next to a woman who I had just met moments earlier in the waiting room with my sister and mom. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. . The man had threatened Merryn that hed hurt her more if she told anyone. 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. Merryn: The first thing someone can do is start talking about it. It was the first federal bill passed funding sexual abuse prevention education. Ill never be abused again, its just all gonna go away.. 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. (2012) Fox News Self - Author of 'An Unimaginable Act'. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. In 2014 People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world along with Oprah and Hillary Clinton. InDecember 2015 President Obama signed thefederal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding for schools to use. 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 . It brings it all back to the surface. I will fight alongside Erin and the advocates right here in our community until the day that this lifesaving legislation finally becomes law.. It would be many more years until that voice would become the strong, confident woman that I have become. As an adult, she's reclaimed the voice her abusers tried to silence. The reality is, 93 percent of the time it is not strangers that are hurting kids. I will come get you, I know where you live, Erin recalled. I didnt want to talk to anyone about this. Named by PEOPLE Magazine a HEROES Among us and one of fifteen women changing the world. Its word for word my diary from the ages of 10 until my senior year of high school. But then, it started happening behind closed doors at crowded family functions. 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!. "Alabama needs this law because just like everywhere else in America . 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. How do you identify? But where were the eight ways on how to "get away and tell today?" MORE: Cancer-surviving mom stays strong for her son. She was honored for her efforts in 2012 as one of Glamour Magazines 2012 Women of the Year. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. They never came, so I stayed silent. We've had an unprecedented change for our Gingerbread House Partners in Prevention 2021 Luncheon and we couldn't be more excited! 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.. She also pointed out the real loss of innocence for a child is when they are sexually abused and nothing is done about it. I guess what I was trying to ask is, why do you think your abusers chose you instead of some other girl as a target? Two against one, somebody had to believe us.. The next steps for the bill remain unknown. 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. Erin Elizabeth had cheerful holidays turned into a fight to protect herself from evil where she often lost. Merryn: I didn't expect a response back from my cousin because my letter was very harsh filled with so much anger and rage. One day, a particular entry she wrote caught her eye. Erin Merryn speaks with enthusiasm, rattling off the list of trips around the globe, the hours of research and meetings promoting her cause. I remember being so utterly confused.. Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. Meetings between the two families were called to sort out the problem, to no avail. Children learn all kinds of safety lessons in schools, like how to deal with natural disasters, fires and strangers. Thirty-seven states have passed Erins Law and Merryn has tried three times in seven years to get the bill passed in Ohio. 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. Im terribly concerned about that, said OBrien. Merryn: I cover these two words in my second book, "Living for Today." Senator Gillibrand on the federal version of Erin's Law to give federal funding to the law, and in December 2015 President Obama signed the federal version of Erin's Law under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Two of those children were my sister and I. So I stayed silent. Around the time we were getting ready to move away, my friend had a birthday party. As an adult, she's reclaimed the voice her. 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. 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. 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. Two years later, though,whenErin was 11, she said her older teenage cousin started abusing her too. Merryn: What caused me to come forward was unfortunately finding out that my little sister was also being abused. However, Merryn said this time the perpetrator was an older cousin, someone she had viewed as a brother figure. 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. That's where, 14 years ago, a then-13-year-old Erin Merryn first . 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. My parents believed me and my cousin Brian confessed to the police, she said. Im very concerned about the possibility of grooming or the losing the innocence of our young children. So far, her story has inspired many kids to speak up about abuse, and that has led to more predators put behind bars. After Bailey's passing, she adopted a kitten named Carrot. 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. 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. [2] The family pressed charges, and the cousin eventually confessed to three counts of child sexual abuse. 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. Alaska Dispatch: Let's talk about two words we hear a lot when covering sexual abuse stories: victim and survivor. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). Survivors need to know they have nothing to be ashamed of. I often say victims are those who are killed by their attackers. It was just the beginning of a long journey. They talked for hours about what had happened, and the next day told their parents about their shared horror. High near 60F. As the abuse continued, and as she was forced to see her abuser over and over again in social situations, she struggled with . Erins Law has now going international with judge in Kerala India requiring Erins Law in the 2023-2024 school year. Two days later, their cousin was brought into the police station. When Merryn eventually confided in Ashley about what had happened, her friend was not surprised; in fact, the scene was depressingly familiar to her. Usually, the abuse isnt at the hands of a stranger, rather someone they know and trust. 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. She has made it her mission in life to get this legislation passed in all 50 states. The abuse went on for years. Now I have somebody I love and trust abusing me," Merryn said. Do not use the phrases good touch and bad touch, says Merryn. Erin says she believes everyone is born with a purpose and she has found hers through the events that have occurred in her life. Erin Merryn, a sexual abuse survivor, applauds Stewart for making her story public. Again, she was told to keep quiet, that no one would believe her if she said anything and that she had no proof. Alaska Dispatch: So often we hear about "helpers" who encouraged a victim to come forward, or reported for him or her. Where were the eight ways on how to `` get away and tell today? News Self Author! Hands of a stranger, rather someone they know and trust was,... In Kerala India requiring Erins Law has now going international with judge in Kerala requiring! Believe one word is more appropriate than the other to the police, said! The year named Carrot inspiration to professionals working daily to fight child abuse. `` meetings between two. 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