We simply cannot stand by and allow these innocent kids to feel ashamed and live in fear at the hands of their abuser. Well, something shocking happened. But when it came to being sexually abused, there was nothing. My sister and I were the only girls that he was around all the time. She is the author of Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. But instead of telling everyone to vote against it, she told everyone to vote in support of this bill. Erin said they just wanted to make sure their nephew got help. See the sex abuse in Israel's ultra-orthodox community. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. 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. 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. Usually, the abuse isnt at the hands of a stranger, rather someone they know and trust. 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'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. And a third girl I know was also abused by him. But then, it started happening behind closed doors at crowded family functions. I found (the) freedom and peace I had longed for. I always feared he would come back. Stolen Innocencewas published soon after. Did you ever wonder, or ever ask him, why he did what he did? Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erin's Law. After enduring a childhood filled w. So be careful sending little Tommy for ice at the machine down the hall and inform teens who often book motels after prom. The two families have ceased having contact. Erin's Law, named after Erin Merryn, has passed in 36 states and is pending in the other 14. "I just stared at the ceiling waiting for it to end." So many children will be protected because of her." When Erin Merryn was a child, she was sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a family member. I got five sentences to my five pages, but he responded and it opened a door of communication, she said. Now, thanks to state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, children of the Garden State may soon benefit from Merryns harrowing experience, knowledge and hope. Maryland is the latest state, joining the crusade last month. 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. Her friend slept through the assault, and Merryn remained silent. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). As for Merryn, today shes married, the mother of an almost 2 year old, and expecting her second child in eight weeks. There is a misconception about this issue many people think sexual abuse only happens to the poor, to people who come from broken homes, etc. Gov. My mission, through this legislation, is to educate children on what I never learned. I came from a good home, two parents, good schools, safe neighborhood, etc. I was told repeatedly by my cousin that I had no proof, that he would deny it, that no one would believe me. That happened until I was 13. 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. CAC The place Erin Merryn broke her silence The Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County Illinois 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. Erin Merryn was an innocent child of six when her best friend asked her to sleepover. IG: The_Cat_Named_Carrot.Ellen is Carrot's biggest fan. 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. 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. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. Forgiveness set me free. 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. I tell parents the best way to talk to kids about this is through the swimsuit lesson, Merryn said. 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. So far, her story has inspired many kids to speak up about abuse, and that has led to more predators put behind bars. CBN News Self - Children's Advocate. 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. . 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. Should someone have known something was wrong sooner? She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. I finally got, after seven months, what I had been looking for: an apology. Now I have somebody I love and trust abusing me," Merryn said. 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. At age 17, she attempted suicide. Survivors need to know they have nothing to be ashamed of. 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. 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 abuse went on for years. So began her fight to bring this epidemic to the forefront, to push for every state to implement a prevention-oriented child sex-abuse program that teaches parents and school personnel how to recognize the signs of sexual abuse, and teaches kids from Kindergarten through twelfth grades techniques on how to also acknowledge abuse and tell a trusted adult. 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. 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. 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. She is the founder of Erin's Law, which requires public schools to teach children personal body safety on the prevention of child sexual ab It was just the beginning of a long journey. Merryn says her abuse ended when the family moved to a new neighborhood, Schaumburg, Illinois but she took her secret with her. Merryn believes more can be done to ensure children also learn how learn how to protect themselves from sexual predators. I remember being so utterly confused.. Learn More. What if their family is pressuring them to just keep quiet and get on with their life? 25 $. 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. Wow, I have a decision to make. In 2014 People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world along with Oprah and Hillary Clinton. She was abused. Did anything make you an attractive target, or particularly vulnerable? That is what brought Erin to tell her story at Metamora Township High School last Monday afternoon, during an all-school assembly. So far 27 states have passed Erins Law since 2010. 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 . For so many years I stayed angry and bitter towards him. Who encouraged you to keep talking, to keep fighting? Merryn successfully passed it in her state of Illinois in 2013 and has been traveling from one state capital to another testifying to state lawmakers to . She shows no signs of fatigue, and she seems ready. Two years later, though,whenErin was 11, she said her older teenage cousin started abusing her too. I will fight alongside Erin and the advocates right here in our community until the day that this lifesaving legislation finally becomes law.. She is an activist against child sexual abuse. Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio SenatePrimary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. What once caused her shame, and something she never wanted to talk about, she now found herself wanting to turn it into a book. The yearly videos had educated me, so I knew to tell the stranger to keep his change. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). How? Her name is Erin Merryn and she is the founder of Erins Law. 4 mos. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Erin Merryn, a Chicago-area resident behind an Ohio bill that would require public schools to provide age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention instruction, told a Senate. By speaking up even when family is against the idea, it is freedom for a survivor and allows them to reclaim a piece of their lives back. 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. No one is allowed in the bathroom with you not even your friend. 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. Merryn cautions that you can never just go by how many registered sex offenders are in your area. --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. Merryn was as bewildered as she was frightened. As an adult, she's reclaimed the voice her abusers tried to silence. However, Merryn said this time the perpetrator was an older cousin, someone she had viewed as a brother figure. In December 2015, President Obama signed the federal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding toschools to provide this education. Erin wrote that letter. See all See top. 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 survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Erin has worked diligently to lobby every state to pass Erin's Law, beginning with her home state of Illinois in 2009. Erin Merryn is a powerful speaker and advocate for countless, faceless children and adults in our country who have similarly suffered sexual abuse. Please join Erin Merryn in her crusade to protect children from sexual abuse and donate to help her with her travel expenses today! She wasn't always successful. 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]. The man had threatened Merryn that hed hurt her more if she told anyone. After reading that letter, a switch flipped inside Erin. Erins Law is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. The bill had already passed the House . Why is it so difficult to talk about? 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. I was keeping this secret with my best friend because he was also abusing her, Merryn said. I remember reading this thinking, they dont teach us that in school. All rights reserved. Alaska Dispatch: Silence is a powerful way in which sexual abuse is kept secret and is perpetuated. Merryn suffered sexual abuse by a male neighbor at ages six to eight[2] and by a teenage cousin at ages 11 to 13. Erin said the abuse stopped after her sister spoke up about her own abuse. Was this just bad luck? (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) During her quest,. Im very concerned about the possibility of grooming or the losing the innocence of our young children. The place Erin reclaimed her voice and began her journey to healing. One personal safety lesson learned at school that actually helped me in life was "stranger danger." 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. But both she and her sister did tell their stories. Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. Erin's Law was the first law passed in the United States requiring sexual abuse prevention education to be taught to students in school every year, and it was subsequently passed in 38 U.S. states before being signed into federal law. Merryn kept her confusion to herself. Erin Merryn testified Tuesday in an Ohio Senate committee about 'Erin's Law.' My favorite story is out of my own state of Illinois (One lawmaker) had been against school mandates her entire career, and (the sponsor) warned me, she is going to get on her mic and go on about how this should not be passed, schools should not be mandated to do things, etc. The first episode began on a warm May night in 1991. 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. 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