Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. So far, her story has inspired many kids to speak up about abuse, and that has led to more predators put behind bars. Victims are those who don't survive. InDecember 2015 President Obama signed thefederal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding for schools to use. I can remember that as if it happened yesterday. It is my hope hearing my message today youll see the importance of what Im here to talk to you about, said Erin Merryn. The only message I got as a child came from my abusers and that was to stay silent or else, she said. No one would believe me, she recalls this man telling her. 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. Use safe and unsafe touch. Here's a glimpse of her life and why she's on a quest for social change. 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. My second abuser, my cousin, came from a family of all boys. There was one good thing about my sister coming forward, she said. However, she said theabuseand rape continueduntil she was almost nine. Meetings between the two families were called to sort out the problem, to no avail. Sponsored by Rep. Geran Tarr, D-Anchorage, HB 233 puts Alaska among the states considering "Erin's Law" in 2014. It would be many more years until that voice would become the strong, confident woman that I have become. 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. There are thousands of accused sex offenders every year who are found not guilty living in our communities. Instead I am still running from Brian. A therapist urged her to get her anger out on paper by writing her cousin a letter detailing how she felt, and after she wrote it, she was to rip it up, burn it or otherwise throw it away. The next steps for the bill remain unknown. How do you identify? Known For. Instead of putting their daughters through further emotional trauma of a criminal trial, Erins parents decided not to press charges. It allowed me to go on this mission to be a face and voice for millions by letting go of hatred and instead turning pain into a purpose. A judge did sentenced her cousin to probation and counseling. 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. Merryn: I didn't expect a response back from my cousin because my letter was very harsh filled with so much anger and rage. 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]. Merryn, then 6, was excited about her first sleepover with her kindergarten classmate Ashley. He doesnt sleep out ever. This decision has brought her on a crusade across America to pass what is known as Erin's Law. 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. It can happen to anyone, which is why we need to empower our children with their voice to speak up and tell and to not keep it a secret if they are abused. But what followed was depression,an eating disorder and a suicide attempt. Alaska Dispatch: So often we hear about "helpers" who encouraged a victim to come forward, or reported for him or her. This law requires personal body safety taught to children Pre-K to 12th grade through an age appropriate curriculum. 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. After describing the difference between the truth and a lie I was asked if I agreed to tell the truth that day. I will fight alongside Erin and the advocates right here in our community until the day that this lifesaving legislation finally becomes law.. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. Please join Erin Merryn in her crusade to protect children from sexual abuse and donate to help her with her travel expenses today! 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. He sat down in front of Merryn and put his finger to his lips signaling her to remain quiet. 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. EN. But Ashley begged her not to say anything because Richard had told her they would "lose the house" if the girls told anyone. In 2010, Merryn began a crusade to get Erin's Law passed across America. Two of those children were my sister and I. Motel management is NOT obligated to tell guests sex offenders are next door. Merryn: I cover these two words in my second book, "Living for Today." One personal safety lesson learned at school that actually helped me in life was "stranger danger." The yearly videos had educated me, so I knew to tell the stranger to keep his change. She urged kids to come forward if they or someone they know is being sexually abused. The reality is, 93 percent of the time it is not strangers that are hurting kids. Why is it so difficult to talk about? 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. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erin's Law. But then, it started happening behind closed doors at crowded family functions. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I met my best friend in kindergarten. 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. Do you know if it was as healing for him as it was for you? But both she and her sister did tell their stories. Erins Law has now going international with judge in Kerala India requiring Erins Law in the 2023-2024 school year. These monsters are living in all of our backyards., (Tip: Offender Locator is a great app to have on your smart phone.). Erin Merryn from Elgin, Illinois, was just weeks shy of her seventh birthday when she was raped by an adult neighbor. Erin Merryn, A Voice for the Voiceless. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. Erin's Law has passed in 21 states and is pending in 22 others. She shows no signs of fatigue, and she seems ready. Child molestation is an epidemic that needs to end now. Merryn: Many don't realize that there are 42 million survivors in America of child sexual abuse. 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. Eventually, her parents and sisters moved to another town, closer to family. Survivors need to know they have nothing to be ashamed of. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. Erins Law soon caught on nationwide. You seem incredibly resilient. In 2014 People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world along with Oprah and Hillary Clinton. Requiring personal body safety education in public schools. I often say victims are those who are killed by their attackers. 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. What factors came together for you to be able to not only overcome what happened, but to also thrive? 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. It was the first federal bill passed funding sexual abuse prevention education. 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. I am so confident I will get this law passed in all 50 states, because God has already told me it will happen. Erin Merryn is among the many that came across the story. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. 2019 TIME USA, LLC. The legislation, "Erin Merryn's Law," (S.6182 Klein/ A.8993 Dinowitz), would require schools to make a change to their . It was the first time she supported a school mandate, and she retired later that year. 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 now runs Carrot's Instagram and shares pictures of Carrot sharing a similar demeanor of her previously owned cat, Bailey. 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. 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. Erin Merryn, 30, a child sexual abuse survivor and creator of the legislation, said schools generally fail to give young students adequate awareness and a voice on the issue of sexual abuse. 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. What do you think made him want to apologize, finally? Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio Senate is considering a bill to teach elementary, middle and high school students how to protect themselves from sexual predators. Nightmares and flashbacks continued, and she started harming herself. 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. My mission, through this legislation, is to educate children on what I never learned. Ensuring all New Jersey kids have access to age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention education will end the cycle of abuse before it begins. Unthinkable acts. You will be believed.. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). Nightmares. --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. Names were the only thing she changed. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Learn More. Merryn: What caused me to come forward was unfortunately finding out that my little sister was also being abused. All rights reserved. Alaska Dispatch: In your quest to get Erin's Law passed in every state, you must have encountered some surprising remarks. I always feared he would come back. At the age of 13, Erin finally got the courage to tell her parents after learning her younger sister was being abused by that same cousin. 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? To a child who has been told so many threats to stay silent the idea of being taken to a police station can often scare a child. 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. Alaska Dispatch: Would something like what you are proposing -- Erin's Law -- have helped you? 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. 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 Merryn is an author (Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, An Unimaginable Act), activist, and founder of Erin's Law. Of course I was asked what I was referring to and I said my cousin Brian has been doing bad things. Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. Visit Amazon.au's Erin Merryn Page and shop for all Erin Merryn books. [8] In November 2009, she published a second book, Living For Today, discussing earlier abuse by her neighbor. EN RU CN DE ES. The parents can then share the information that the schools provided with anyone else in their household. 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. I am a survivor. Has anything particularly heartened you? 7Erin Merryn is a Woman of the Year because"She's taken her personal crusade and turned it into a public one. Her older cousin sexually abused her from 11-13 years old. Merryn: I was terrified. My sister and I were the only girls that he was around all the time. In just a few short years, she has already persuaded half the countryto pass similar versions of the law. 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. Erin Merryn (Author) 139 ratings Kindle Edition $17.99 Read with Our Free App Paperback $16.56 16 Used from $11.22 5 New from $45.35 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 man had threatened Merryn that hed hurt her more if she told anyone. 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]. What are the most persistent knowledge gaps? How? Merryn didn't tell anyone until she was 13 and she suspected her sister was also being abused. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images) But nobody asked those important questions. She is an activist against child sexual abuse. 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. She has made it her mission in life to get this legislation passed in all 50 states. Vermont State Board of Education has required it in schools since 2009. Walking up to a door with so many racing thoughts afraid I was not going to be believed, wondering what I was going to be asked, and so ashamed to even think about sharing the dirty secrets. "He told me, just like in the past by this other perpetrator, 'Erin, this is our . I was told repeatedly by my cousin that I had no proof, that he would deny it, that no one would believe me. 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.. Alaska Dispatch: Silence is a powerful way in which sexual abuse is kept secret and is perpetuated. My parents believed me and my cousin Brian confessed to the police, she said. Forgiving him did not mean what he did was right, she stressed. I found hope and healing there and people that believed me. Merryn's experiences belie the more common parental fears of "stranger danger." Through her speeches and books, Erin is an inspiration to professionals working daily to fight child 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. The Church Sex Abuse Scandals Around the World, Child-Abuse Case Reveals Vietnam's Lax Social Services, (Read why most child abuse goes unreported). 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. The bill had already passed the House . Then, Erin said she told her family too. Erin Merryn was an innocent child of six when her best friend asked her to sleepover. Chris Newlin - National Children's Advocacy Center 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.. She didn't want to stop visiting her friend but tried to find times when Richard wasn't around. The case never went to trial, and Brian received some counseling, but no punishment. I really open lawmakers' eyes when I share this with them. She has now dedicated her life to protecting our nations children. She is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for . The next day they told their parents. Alaska Dispatch: You were preyed upon not once, but twice (two different abusers during different stages of childhood). 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. When Merryn eventually confided in Ashley about what had happened, her friend was not surprised; in fact, the scene was depressingly familiar to her. Her dad had to sit down and have a tough conversation with his sister, and denial followed. Is there anything about your life circumstances that you think made you a target? Her name is Erin Merryn and she is the founder of Erins Law. Forgiveness is what set me free. 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. Merryn is an author, activist, and founder of Erin's Law. Behind those numbers are the faces of innocent children whose childhoods were shattered by actions of evil and sickness. He threatened her to stay silent so she kept her secrets locked away in her childhood diary. 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. But where were the eight ways on how to "get away and tell today?" Eleven states have passed the legislation. Author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today I remember walking out into the parking lot and feeling this sense of relief.Seven months later I would return back for the first time since my interview to begin a group with other girls who were survivors in January 1999. He was given probation and counseling., Forgiveness is what set me free, she said. 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. At age 17, she attempted suicide. Merryn advocates for sexual abuse victims. Erin is a mom to three little girls. She is the force behind passing Erin's Law across America. 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. 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. Alaska Dispatch: You have since spoken up in a big way. Merryn: I reclaimed my voice in the Children's Advocacy Center. 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