Vermont State Board of Education has required it in schools since 2009. We live in a society that doesn't want to even address this issue. What are the most persistent knowledge gaps? Meetings between the two families were called to sort out the problem, to no avail. Silence Broken and Stigmas Shattered -- Help for Incest Survivors Is Here Fans of Erin Merryn's heart-wrenching debut memoir Stolen Innocence were left wondering at the end what would become of an emotionally fragile Erin after her confrontation with the reality of being a child of incest and molestation. By breaking your silence you are reclaiming your voice. We simply cannot stand by and allow these innocent kids to feel ashamed and live in fear at the hands of their abuser. It happened again after we moved away, when a cousin started abusing me in my sleep when I was 11 years old. 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. 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. 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. 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. The instruction will be provided by a school nurse who has completed professional development sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention. CBS News' Reena Ninan visited a public school in Illinois to see how the school teaches kids about safe . She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. 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. Read more about Erins Law at www.erinslaw.org, or about Erin herself at www.erinmerryn.net. Of course I was asked what I was referring to and I said my cousin Brian has been doing bad things. 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. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. See her personal website at ErinMerryn.net. Eleven states have passed the legislation. I had only ever been told no one (would) believe me, I feared ruining our large extended family when they learned a family member (teenage cousin) was molesting my sister and I. Sixteen years ago, on March 29, 1998, my sister broke her silence to me. What once caused her shame, and something she never wanted to talk about, she now found herself wanting to turn it into a book. 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. Do you believe one word is more appropriate than the other? 5 talking about this. --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. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. After years as a teen struggling with nightmares and flashbacks of my abuse, attempting suicide, self-injury, etc., I decided to use that voice to confront my abuser For seven months we corresponded in letters. After describing the difference between the truth and a lie I was asked if I agreed to tell the truth that day. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. I always feared he would come back. Call it what it is: penis and vagina.. My name is Erin Merryn and I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. What factors came together for you to be able to not only overcome what happened, but to also thrive? "It's something that is going to be with me the rest of my life," Erin said. In 1998 seventy five thousand six hundred and forty seven abused children were seen in one hundred and thirty nine Children's Advocacy Centers in America. Again, she was told to keep quiet, that no one would believe her if she said anything and that she had no proof. 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. Merryn believes more can be done to ensure children also learn how learn how to protect themselves from sexual predators. All rights reserved. Motel management is NOT obligated to tell guests sex offenders are next door. My sister and I were the only girls that he was around all the time. 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. He was free, but the rage inside Erin remained. So many children will be protected because of her." Ensuring all New Jersey kids have access to age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention education will end the cycle of abuse before it begins. 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. 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 her nightmare was just beginning. Two of those children were my sister and I. 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. It was just the beginning of a long journey. Erin said he would occasionally downplay what he did, but he never denied it. If someone ever does touch you in those areas, you tell immediately., Merryn suggests the books The Swimsuit Lesson and The Right Touch.. Now she's on a quest to make sure lawmakers across America hear what she has to stay. Alaska Dispatch: Do you think most lawmakers meaningfully comprehend the issue of sexual abuse? Merryn now had a duty as a big sister to protect her younger sibling. 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. When she is traveling to state capitols or speaking engagements she is entertaining her 270,000Instagram followers that follow her famous cat. 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. Erin Merryn is an author (Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, An Unimaginable Act), activist, and founder of Erin's Law. She started by pulling out that little pink diary. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. "Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I met my best friend in kindergarten. MORE: Monmouth U. faces federal sexual assault case. Erins ongoing abuse with her friends uncle was over. 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. Its somebody they know and trust.. Survivors need to know they have nothing to be ashamed of. 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. Now I have somebody I love and trust abusing me," Merryn said. What do you think made him want to apologize, finally? Alaska Dispatch: When you broke your silence and spoke up, was it frightening? The school, community organization, day care center, etc. 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.. The Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County Illinois. Names were the only thing she changed. These monsters are living in all of our backyards., (Tip: Offender Locator is a great app to have on your smart phone.). I eventually would return back to the room I was interviewed in nine months later when I began doing individual counseling but was still not ready to go there into details the shame overwhelmed me however I did learn to finally stop blaming myself for what happened to my younger sister and my entire family. Read more about Erin Merryn on her Erin's Law Facebook page and her website. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) During her quest,. 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. [5] He got us quiet and continued to get away with it. 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. 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. Author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today See the sex abuse in Israel's ultra-orthodox community. 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. Merryn said she was never taught to speak up about it, so shekept it a secret. 2022 Anchorage Daily News. I came from a good home, two parents, good schools, safe neighborhood, etc. 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. The Church Sex Abuse Scandals Around the World, Child-Abuse Case Reveals Vietnam's Lax Social Services, (Read why most child abuse goes unreported). Now, thanks to state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, children of the Garden State may soon benefit from Merryns harrowing experience, knowledge and hope. And for the next year and a half, repeatedly told me, This is our little secret. My abusers threatened me, and I believed them. 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. Buccos legislation has received support from prominent victims rights advocates and support organizations, including Morris County advocate Richard Pompelio; and Patrice Lenowitz, founder and executive director of The Nurtured Parent Support Group for Survivors of Domestic Abuse, a Bergen County organization serving survivors and protective parents across the state. Look out for motels that might house sex offenders. Bad things happen to children all the time. 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. Wow, I have a decision to make. (2013) Merryn lay on blankets on the floor next to Ashley, who was in her bed. 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. Gov. 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, 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. 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. (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. Visit sheriffalerts.com to find out if there are sex offenders in your area. 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. Little did I know by moving I was getting that much closer to my next abuser. Illinois is the first state by law to mandate Erins Law. Erins Law encourages research based curriculum, Merryn 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. As the abuse continued, and as she was forced to see her abuser over and over again in social situations, she struggled with . ThediaryIkept my secrets locked away in, where I lost my innocence, I turned into a book mysenior year of high school called Stolen Innocence, because thats whathappened to me, Merryn said. Merryn: There is so much shame and stigma attached to sexual abuse. But when it came to being sexually abused, there was nothing. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. No one is allowed in the bathroom with you not even your friend. It is when they hear my story of how I was raped, and how my abusers controlled the situation by being the only ones talking to me about what was happening, that they "get it." Seconds later his hand was down her pants. 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]. Merryn is now taking her fight to the state of Alabama. We've had an unprecedented change for our Gingerbread House Partners in Prevention 2021 Luncheon and we couldn't be more excited! 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 is the author of Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. 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? 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. 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. The reality is, 93 percent of the time it is not strangers that are hurting kids. I survived it and eventually learned how to thrive from it by breaking my silence and putting a face and voice on this silent epidemic. She was honored for her efforts in 2012 as one of Glamour Magazines 2012 Women of the Year. The day I left that place I took a piece of my life back, and that was my voice. When all you have ever been told by an abuser is to stay silent, no one will believe you, this is our secret, you learn to believe that, and (it) makes it extremely difficult to speak up about. After an evening of playing with Ashley's dollhouse and watching The Little Mermaid, the girls went to bed in Ashley's room. Alaska Dispatch: Let's talk about two words we hear a lot when covering sexual abuse stories: victim and survivor. Im terribly concerned about that, said OBrien. Two years later, though,whenErin was 11, she said her older teenage cousin started abusing her too. Choosing to forgive has led me to live for today. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Alaska Dispatch: Silence is a powerful way in which sexual abuse is kept secret and is perpetuated. The case never went to trial, and Brian received some counseling, but no punishment. 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. 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. Forgiveness is what set me free. 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!. 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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