Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. 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. Erin Merryn was an innocent child of six when her best friend asked her to sleepover. Thats precisely why she does what she does. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erins Law. Two years later, though,whenErin was 11, she said her older teenage cousin started abusing her too. 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. (Josh Rultenberg/Spectrum News 1), California Consumer Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, California Consumer Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The Ohio Senate is considering a bill to teach elementary, middle and high school students how to protect themselves from sexual predators, Erins Law is named after Erin Merryn who was sexually abused as a child, Thirty-seven states have passed Erins Law and Merryn has tried three times in seven years to get the bill passed in Ohio, House Bill 105 overwhelmingly passed the Ohio House a year ago. In 2013 Governor Quinn signed Erins Law mandating child sexual abuse education in all Illinois public schools. After Bailey's passing, she adopted a kitten named Carrot. He was the father of my best friend. 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.. 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. Merryn: There is so much shame and stigma attached to sexual abuse. I always feared he would come back. Last week the law passed in two more states, Virginia and Wyoming, bringing the total to 34. Merryn advocates for sexual abuse victims. 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. In just a few short years, she has already persuaded half the countryto pass similar versions of the law. 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, then 6, was excited about her first sleepover with her kindergarten classmate Ashley. 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 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. 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. Through her personal diary, written during the years of her abuse, Erin shares her journey through pain and confusion to inner strength and, ultimately, forgiveness. Did anything make you an attractive target, or particularly vulnerable? She urged kids to come forward if they or someone they know is being sexually abused. Child molestation is an epidemic that needs to end now. 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. Merryn: I was terrified. will then mail or hand the parents or responsible adult family member the Megans Law information. 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. 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. At first, it happened when she was babysitting her younger cousins and their older brother would arrive home before their mother. 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. Sharing those details can be difficult because as survivors, they bring us back to the place where we endured the horror. 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. Little did I know by moving I was getting that much closer to my next abuser. "He told me, just like in the past by this other perpetrator, 'Erin, this is our . Two of those children were my sister and I. 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. High near 60F. 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. When she is traveling to state capitols or speaking engagements she is entertaining her 270,000Instagram followers that follow her famous cat. 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. Merryn suffered sexual abuse by a male neighbor at ages six to eight[2] and by a teenage cousin at ages 11 to 13. But then, it started happening behind closed doors at crowded family functions. While the party was going on, and my friend's mom was in the house, this neighbor cornered me in a bathroom and abused me. 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. . However, Merryn said this time the perpetrator was an older cousin, someone she had viewed as a brother figure. Someone should have known in my earlier years when I was being abused by an adult neighbor. When I was six years old, I was sexually abused at a neighbor's house. Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. Did you ever wonder, or ever ask him, why he did what he did? But what followed was depression,an eating disorder and a suicide attempt. I really open lawmakers' eyes when I share this with them. I just figured I told my mom, and I never had to talk about this again. It was a detailed account of how an officer came to her school to talk about stranger danger. 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. The Church Sex Abuse Scandals Around the World, Child-Abuse Case Reveals Vietnam's Lax Social Services, (Read why most child abuse goes unreported). 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. Info here from RAINNwww.rainn.org/news/president-signs-measures-support-state-action-prevent-and-address-child-sexual-abuseErin's media appearances have included Access Hollywood 2020Tamron Hall 2020HLN 2020CBS Morning Show 2019The Morning Blend 2019CNN 2018, HLN 2018, BUILD 2018 TLC Breaking the Silence Documentary TODAY show 2015, Nancy Grace 2015, ABC Nightline 2015, CNN 2015, Dr. Drew 2015, Inside Edition 2015, MSNBC 2015, Oprah Winfrey Network 2014, Windy City Live 2014, MSNBC 2013, FOX 2013, Katie Couric 2013, Oprah Life Class 2012, CNN 2012, Issues with Jane Velez Mitchell 2011, Oprah Winfrey Show October 2010, Montel Williams in April/July 2006, and Good Morning America in May 2006. 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. But her parents thought it was because of health problems she was having at the time. Merryn was as bewildered as she was frightened. Names were the only thing she changed. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. 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. The next day they told their parents. She has now dedicated her life to protecting our nations children. Every parent should do their homework before they send their kids anywhere. See the sex abuse in Israel's ultra-orthodox community. Erin Elizabeth was sexually abused from 11-13 by her older cousin. 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. Erins Law soon caught on nationwide. Alaska Dispatch: You have since spoken up in a big way. Eleven states have passed the legislation. Ill never be abused again, its just all gonna go away.. ", Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. I sat next to a woman who I had just met moments earlier in the waiting room with my sister and mom. The case never went to trial, and Brian received some counseling, but no punishment. 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. 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. She published a book called Bailey No Ordinary Cat that showcases Bailey's unusually gentle interactions with her three children. Illinois is the fifth state to pass Erin's Law since she took up the cause. Download it here. Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. The yearly videos had educated me, so I knew to tell the stranger to keep his change. Erins Law is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Visit Amazon.au's Erin Merryn Page and shop for all Erin Merryn books. I found myself locked in bedrooms, basements, bathrooms, a car, garage and repeatedly assaulted by my cousin.. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Merryn: Many don't realize that there are 42 million survivors in America of child sexual abuse. No one would believe me, she recalls this man telling her. Therapists (and) an amazing school psychologist in high school really helped me heal. Jill Burke is a former writer and columnist for Alaska Dispatch News. 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. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erin's Law. She told them that, growing up in Illinois, she had experienced tornado drills, fire drills and bus drills; was taught about stranger danger and eight ways to say no to drugs through D.A.R.E., but no one ever taught her how to protect herself from sexual abuse and what to do if a family member or friend molested or raped her. 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. Then, after seven months of back-and-forths, he wrote a heartfelt apology to Erin and asking for her forgiveness, but also understanding if she couldnt forgive him. CBS News' Reena Ninan visited a public school in Illinois to see how the school teaches kids about safe . Learn More. Behind those numbers are the faces of innocent children whose childhoods were shattered by actions of evil and sickness. Merryn didn't tell anyone until she was 13 and she suspected her sister was also being abused. 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. 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 . I often say victims are those who are killed by their attackers. 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. So far 27 states have passed Erins Law since 2010. What are the most persistent knowledge gaps? COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio Senate is considering a bill to teach elementary, middle and high school students how to protect themselves from sexual predators. Known For. Have there been times in your life when haven't done well? It just turned into a screaming match between my mom and his mom, your son did this, your girls are liars, remembered Erin. Erin Merryn, a sexual abuse survivor, applauds Stewart for making her story public. She is dedicated to taking the stigma and shame away from sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage to speak up as she has. Its word for word my diary from the ages of 10 until my senior year of high school. These can seem like powerful forces to go up against. 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. 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. "A Child's Best Defense Is Her Voice. 2022 Anchorage Daily News. Merryn: Yes. Merryn: I didn't expect a response back from my cousin because my letter was very harsh filled with so much anger and rage. Alaska Dispatch: In your quest to get Erin's Law passed in every state, you must have encountered some surprising remarks. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). She shows no signs of fatigue, and she seems ready. Erin Elizabeth had cheerful holidays turned into a fight to protect herself from evil where she often lost. In 2009 Texas passed a similar law but it was only a task force which did not mandate students be taught personal body safety, making Illinois the first state to require personal body safety education by law. 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. All rights reserved. If someone ever does touch you in those areas, you tell immediately., Merryn suggests the books The Swimsuit Lesson and The Right Touch.. 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. Statistics show that one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused by the age of 18. In December 2015, President Obama signed the federal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding toschools to provide this education. What if their family is pressuring them to just keep quiet and get on with their life? Motel management is NOT obligated to tell guests sex offenders are next door. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Here's how to protect your kids from online predators. ALBANY, N.Y. - The Independent Democratic Conference was joined today by Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, (D-Bronx), and nationally recognized anti-abuse advocate and survivor Erin Merryn to hail the passage of important legislation to stamp out child sexual abuse in New York. It ended only after a chance conversation between Merryn and one of her sisters, who blurted out one day that their cousin Brian was "gross." A neighbor & # x27 ; Reena Ninan visited a public school in Illinois to how... 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