A safe touch could be a high five or hug and an unsafe touch is someone touching you in the areas covered by your swimsuit, or your private parts, Merryn said. The case never went to trial, and Brian received some counseling, but no punishment. Merryn now had a duty as a big sister to protect her younger sibling. Erin has appeared in People Magazine, Glamour Magazine, Time Magazine, The New York Times, Time Magazine, New York Post, The London Times, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, among others. He sat down in front of Merryn and put his finger to his lips signaling her to remain quiet. He did respond admitting what he did and saying he is using his past to not make the same mistakes now in his life. But Ashley begged her not to say anything because Richard had told her they would "lose the house" if the girls told anyone. Those were just the number of children who broke their silence that year. Merryn: I reclaimed my voice in the Children's Advocacy Center. 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. And a third girl I know was also abused by him. Erin Elizabeth was sexually abused from 11-13 by her older cousin. [5] I didnt want to talk to anyone about this. Merryn: What caused me to come forward was unfortunately finding out that my little sister was also being abused. I wanted to know why, and when I asked if he was abused, he denied it and said he abused me out of curiosity and an urge of sexuality. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. This law requires personal body safety taught to children Pre-K to 12th grade through an age appropriate curriculum. 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. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. God has healed me, made me whole again, and has shown me the ability to forgive, the freedom it brings yourself, and shown me my purpose in this life, and that is to give kids the voice I didn't have. Before . 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. 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. Do not use the phrases good touch and bad touch, says Merryn. Merryn lay on blankets on the floor next to Ashley, who was in her bed. 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. Her older cousin sexually abused her from 11-13 years old. "A Child's Best Defense Is Her Voice. 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. Again, she started having trouble in school, becoming distant and withdrawn. 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. This went on for a month before police got involved. 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. These monsters are living in all of our backyards., (Tip: Offender Locator is a great app to have on your smart phone.). Today there are more then 700 Children Advocacy Centers in America and millions of children have walked through those doors.Before there were CAC's children were interviewed numerous times in places such as police stations. No one will believe you, Erin. (Read why most child abuse goes unreported). Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. She shows no signs of fatigue, and she seems ready. Erin, a Chicago-area native, first introduced the legislation in Illinois, and the bill was given her namesake. 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. EN RU CN DE ES. 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. Acting out both at home and in school, she was given an IEP (Individual Education Plan) and was told she was just going through a phase; that her parents brief separation was the probable root cause. It happened again after we moved away, when a cousin started abusing me in my sleep when I was 11 years old. 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. She kept quiet, but behavior problems soon followed. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Alaska Dispatch: When you broke your silence and spoke up, was it frightening? She wanted him to know how much his actions had affected her life. 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. Alaska Dispatch: You were preyed upon not once, but twice (two different abusers during different stages of childhood). In 2014 People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world along with Oprah and Hillary Clinton. How did you find this voice? 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. Alaska Dispatch: Do you think most lawmakers meaningfully comprehend the issue of sexual abuse? Merryn is an author, activist, and founder of Erin's Law. 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. Merryn advocates for sexual abuse victims. Gov. Merryn is now taking her fight to the state of Alabama. Do I know the difference between the truth and a lie? 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 nightmare was just beginning. 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. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. There are thousands of accused sex offenders every year who are found not guilty living in our communities. 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 was also the owner of the viral Instagram cat, Bailey, until he died in December 2018. I was keeping this secret with my best friend because he was also abusing her, Merryn said. 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. The next day they told their parents. Is there anything about your life circumstances that you think made you a target? Two days later, their cousin was brought into the police station. My abuse first happened at weeks shy of my seventh birthday by a neighbor it went on until age 8 and a half. I came from a good home, two parents, good schools, safe neighborhood, etc. 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. Are you afraid you will lose business? 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. COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio Senate is considering a bill to teach elementary, middle and high school students how to protect themselves from sexual predators. Instead of putting their daughters through further emotional trauma of a criminal trial, Erins parents decided not to press charges. Eventually though the conversation has to shift and that question that I will never forget. My second abuser, my cousin, came from a family of all boys. I was a senior in high school when I published my first book, my childhood diary where I kept my secrets of abuse with my cousin locked away. These days hes almost 9 and I dont really tag along to play dates anymore, but every time I drop him off, I tell him, if you have to use the bathroom, lock the door and have privacy. I found myself locked in bedrooms, basements, bathrooms, a car, garage and repeatedly assaulted by my cousin.. Use safe and unsafe touch. 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. Erin says she believes everyone is born with a purpose and she has found hers through the events that have occurred in her life. 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.. She is an activist against child sexual abuse. The only message I got as a child came from my abusers and that was to stay silent or else, she said. Again, she was told to keep quiet, that no one would believe her if she said anything and that she had no proof. After Bailey's passing, she adopted a kitten named Carrot. Erin Merryn is an author (Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, An Unimaginable Act), activist, and founder of Erin's Law. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. She is the author of Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. --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. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. A place I went to with my eleven year old sister and mother. Should someone have known something was wrong sooner? The book is titled "Stolen Innocence." I found hope and healing there and people that believed me. Children learn all kinds of safety lessons in schools, like how to deal with natural disasters, fires and strangers. 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 terrible secret. He threatened her to stay silent so she kept her secrets locked away in her childhood diary. See her personal website at ErinMerryn.net. You have permission to edit this article. My sister and I were the only girls that he was around all the time. Erin wrote that letter. From the age of 11 to 13, I was repeatedly sexually abused at the hands of a family member, an older cousin, she said. 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. 2019 TIME USA, LLC. Erin is a mom to three little girls. Behind those numbers are the faces of innocent children whose childhoods were shattered by actions of evil and sickness. 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. 7Erin Merryn is a Woman of the Year because"She's taken her personal crusade and turned it into a public one. Her courage breaking her silence allowed me to take a stand for both of us and be brave and tell her we can't keep this a secret, that we have to tell our parents. I tell parents the best way to talk to kids about this is through the swimsuit lesson, Merryn said. 25 $. Please join Erin Merryn in her crusade to protect children from sexual abuse and donate to help her with her travel expenses today! 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 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. Every six minutes a child is sexually abused in the U.S. One in every 4 girls and 6 boys will be sexually assaulted before the turn 18 over 90% by a family member or friend. Alaska Dispatch: So often we hear about "helpers" who encouraged a victim to come forward, or reported for him or her. Erin Merryn is the author of three books about surviving incest, including "Living for Today." She also speaks nationally on the subject. Putting the lives of children in danger and possibly taking their innocence is worth it? Erins Law has now going international with judge in Kerala India requiring Erins Law in the 2023-2024 school year. The law was passed in a number of states,[7] with New York becoming the 37th in 2019. So, she forgave him. 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. 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. Wow, I have a decision to make. I remember reading this thinking, they dont teach us that in school. Forgiveness is what set me free. And for the next year and a half, repeatedly told me, This is our little secret. MORE: Moms and dads, can we talk about stranger danger? 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. After enduring a childhood filled w. 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. Eleven states have passed the legislation. CBS News' Reena Ninan visited a public school in Illinois to see how the school teaches kids about safe . 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's Law" is named after Schaumburg native and activist Erin Merryn. She is at war against this silent evil that is lurking in the shadows and is devoted to opening the eyes of the public to the tens of thousands of children who are being abused right now silently in our own communities and backyards without our knowledge. The two families have ceased having contact. 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. There, at her friends house, in the middle of the night, she was sexually assaulted by her friends uncle. Illinois is the first state by law to mandate Erins Law. He doesnt sleep out ever. Merryn: Yes. Choosing to forgive has led me to live for today. Well, something shocking happened. We live in a society that doesn't want to even address this issue. Erin wanted nothing more than to make him feel the hurt that she did. Merryn: I was terrified. 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. Erin Merryn, force behind Erins Law, tells her story at Metamora Township High School, Central Illinois Poetry Out Loud regional winners announced, Area students named to St. Olaf Colleges Dean's List, Fall archery hunters reach third-highest turkey harvest on record for season, FOP seeks applicants for new Peer Wellness program that will assist law enforcement officers in crisis, Local students make Carthage College dean's list, Local students named to Illinois Wesleyan University's fall 2022 Dean's List, Local students named to Trinity Christian Colleges fall 2022 Dean's List, Illinois Department of Revenue reminds eligible taxpayers to take advantage of Senior Citizens Tax Deferral Program, United Methodists form new church in Washington, District 52 proposes referendum on April ballot, Illinois natives REO Speedwagon return to the Illinois State Fair Grandstand stage, Interrupted Journey exhibition opens at Dickson Mounds Museum, Scots win 12 events at Roger Haynes Invitational, WCHS Panthers bring home All-State Honors, State Titles. 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