It was the first time she supported a school mandate, and she retired later that year. The next steps for the bill remain unknown. I sat next to a woman who I had just met moments earlier in the waiting room with my sister and mom. She also wantsteachers andstafftrained on the topic. Forgiveness is what set me free. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I met my best friend in kindergarten. Her dad singled me out during the 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. Now, thanks to state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, children of the Garden State may soon benefit from Merryns harrowing experience, knowledge and hope. It was a detailed account of how an officer came to her school to talk about stranger danger. But nobody asked those important questions. If someone ever does touch you in those areas, you tell immediately., Merryn suggests the books The Swimsuit Lesson and The Right Touch.. 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. 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. 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. She also pointed out the real loss of innocence for a child is when they are sexually abused and nothing is done about it. Erin wanted nothing more than to make him feel the hurt that she did. 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. I found (the) freedom and peace I had longed for. They dont warn us about our own family, they dont teach us that in school, her age 12 entry stated. 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. 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. Thirty-seven states have passed Erins Law and Merryn has tried three times in seven years to get the bill passed in Ohio. In a Q&A with Alaska Dispatch before boarding her flight north, Merryn wasn't shy about sharing the difficulties she's experienced, including a suicide attempt, or the one thing that happened to make her finally tell someone she was being hurt. Erins Law has now going international with judge in Kerala India requiring Erins Law in the 2023-2024 school year. Im glad he gets body boundaries and safety and Ill be pounding it into his head as long as I can. 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. Details 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 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. Low near 30F. Erin wrote that letter. 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. Visit sheriffalerts.com to find out if there are sex offenders in your area. Use safe and unsafe touch. She started by pulling out that little pink diary. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. [2] The family pressed charges, and the cousin eventually confessed to three counts of child sexual abuse. Erin Merryn speaks with enthusiasm, rattling off the list of trips around the globe, the hours of research and meetings promoting her cause. 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. Merryn: I was terrified. What's your advice for sexual abuse victims who may want to come forward, but who feel the abuse is better kept secret or forgotten? 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. Innocence lost. I just figured I told my mom, and I never had to talk about this again. "Alabama needs this law because just like everywhere else in America . Merryn said the abuse only stopped because her family moved away. "I didn't understand what was going on," she says. Maryland is the latest state, joining the crusade last month. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). My abusers threatened me, and I believed them. It just turned into a screaming match between my mom and his mom, your son did this, your girls are liars, remembered Erin. These monsters are living in all of our backyards., (Tip: Offender Locator is a great app to have on your smart phone.). 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. 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. This law requires personal body safety taught to children Pre-K to 12th grade through an age appropriate curriculum. 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. "It's something that is going to be with me the rest of my life," Erin said. I will not stop until children in all 50 states are protected from sexual abuse.". How do you identify? Confronting him empowered me and eventually allowed me to forgive him when he wrote a letter apologizing. Has anything particularly heartened you? Again, she started having trouble in school, becoming distant and withdrawn. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). [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. 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. 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. Why is it so difficult to talk about? No one is allowed in the bathroom with you not even your friend. All rights reserved. Lawmakers are in the dark about this. 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. With every passing week, and with every visit, Erin gets closer to her goal. 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. 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. "He told me, just like in the past by this other perpetrator, 'Erin, this is our . Now she's on a quest to make sure lawmakers across America hear what she has to stay. CBS News' Reena Ninan visited a public school in Illinois to see how the school teaches kids about safe . Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erin's Law. 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. 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. My mission, through this legislation, is to educate children on what I never learned. Merryn: What caused me to come forward was unfortunately finding out that my little sister was also being abused. That is just (in) America. Child molestation is an epidemic that needs to end now. A judge did sentenced her cousin to probation and counseling. Merryn is an author, activist, and founder of Erin's Law. 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. What factors came together for you to be able to not only overcome what happened, but to also thrive? 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. My mom was a mess, that day she probably cried for 10 straight hours, looking at my dad saying, we missed all the red flags, her grades, she was depressed, Erin recalled. In 2010, Merryn began a crusade to get Erin's Law passed across America. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. 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 . There are thousands of accused sex offenders every year who are found not guilty living in our communities. You have permission to edit this article. Merryn lay on blankets on the floor next to Ashley, who was in her bed. Oh and of course my cousin's voice echoing through my head "No one will believe you, you have no proof, you will destroy this family, this is our secret!" 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. The legislation, "Erin Merryn's Law," (S.6182 Klein/ A.8993 Dinowitz), would require schools to make a change to their . Eleven states have passed the legislation. 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. Erin Merryn was an innocent child of six when her best friend asked her to sleepover. By breaking your silence you are reclaiming your voice. 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 travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. This representative did get on her mic. As an adult, she's reclaimed the voice her. Should someone have known something was wrong sooner? And a third girl I know was also abused by him. Ill never be abused again, its just all gonna go away.. IG: The_Cat_Named_Carrot.Ellen is Carrot's biggest fan. When I look at you, I see nothing but scum. 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. 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