(See Gary Glitter's sex scandal.). The yearly videos had educated me, so I knew to tell the stranger to keep his change. There are thousands of accused sex offenders every year who are found not guilty living in our communities. She is the founder of Erin's Law, which is a group advocating for child sexual abuse awareness. 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]. Erins Law is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Are you afraid you will lose business? They dont warn us about our own family, they dont teach us that in school, her age 12 entry stated. Two days later, their cousin was brought into the police station. "Erin's Law" is named after Schaumburg native and activist Erin Merryn. I just wanted to get it over with.She was a forensic interviewer who had been trained to interview children who had reported abuse. Alaska Dispatch: Silence is a powerful way in which sexual abuse is kept secret and is perpetuated. 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. People would be amazed how many people this really does affect and that they know but have never come forward. 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 At age 17, she attempted suicide. Vermont State Board of Education has required it in schools since 2009. The two families have ceased having contact. And a third girl I know was also abused by him. 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. Her older cousin sexually abused her from 11-13 years old. Partly cloudy. Bad things happen to children all the time. Merryn now. Behind those numbers are the faces of innocent children whose childhoods were shattered by actions of evil and sickness. 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. The words of my cousin began haunting me. 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. 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.. Merryn is an author and activist against sexual abuse who founded "Erin's Law," which requires school to. Author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today CBS News' Reena Ninan visited a public school in Illinois to see how the school teaches kids about safe . 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." You didn't just tell one person. Thirty-seven states have passed Erins Law and Merryn has tried three times in seven years to get the bill passed in Ohio. On Thursday, Quinn signed "Erin's Law" at the Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County in Hoffman Estates. How and when did you do it first? Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. But her parents thought it was because of health problems she was having at the time. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). The abuse went on for years. He was free, but the rage inside Erin remained. He was given probation and counseling., Forgiveness is what set me free, she said. It turned out cousin Brian was abusing Merryns little sister, too. 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. Merryn: The first thing someone can do is start talking about it. Erin Merryn from Elgin, Illinois, was just weeks shy of her seventh birthday when she was raped by an adult neighbor. Erin is a mom to three little girls. She earned a master's degree from Aurora University in social work. Merryn: There is so much shame and stigma attached to sexual abuse. 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. If someone ever does touch you in those areas, you tell immediately., Merryn suggests the books The Swimsuit Lesson and The Right Touch.. In the end, he was given seven years of probation, 1,000 hours of community service, he attended a two-year sex offender program, and couldnt come within 100 feet of Erin or her sister. Alaska Dispatch: You have since spoken up in a big way. When I look at you, I see nothing but scum. I always feared he would come back. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. Instead of putting their daughters through further emotional trauma of a criminal trial, Erins parents decided not to press charges. Merryn was as bewildered as she was frightened. However, during the hearing Tuesday,Ohio State Sen. Sandra OBrien, R-Ashtabula, told Merryn that whileshe was sorry about what happened to her,there will always be evil in the world.. Was this just bad luck? This went on for a month before police got involved. I know that when theres one in four girls and one in six boys (being abused) Im not the only one standing in this room that this has happened to, Erin said of the statistics. (2013) CNN Newsroom Self - Child Abuse Survivor. I will fight alongside Erin and the advocates right here in our community until the day that this lifesaving legislation finally becomes law.. 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 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. I can spend the rest of my life hating him, or I can forgive him and do something positive about this thing that continues to be a negative thing in my life, she said. I am a survivor. These can seem like powerful forces to go up against. Forgiving him did not mean what he did was right, she stressed. She explained to her cousin that she didnt want to publish it out of revenge, rather to help the millions of other sexual assault survivors. This decision has brought her on a crusade across America to pass what is known as Erin's Law. Read more about Erins Law at www.erinslaw.org, or about Erin herself at www.erinmerryn.net. I will come get you, I know where you live, Erin recalled. Therapists (and) an amazing school psychologist in high school really helped me heal. More than 90 percent of children who are sexually abused know their attacker, Bucco said with conviction. But instead of destroying it, she ended up emailing her five-page account of anger and rage to her cousin, who was now attending college. Little did I know by moving I was getting that much closer to my next abuser. Merryn believes more can be done to ensure children also learn how learn how to protect themselves from sexual predators. Merryn says a few months ago, a local . The case never went to trial, and Brian received some counseling, but no punishment. See her personal website at ErinMerryn.net Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. As the abuse continued, and as she was forced to see her abuser over and over again in social situations, she struggled with . Well, something shocking happened. 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. By breaking your silence you are reclaiming your voice. My sister and I were the only girls that he was around all the time. Illinois is the fifth state to pass Erin's Law since she took up the cause. Unfortunately, children who are abused once are at even higher risk of being abused again by someone else because they are vulnerable and easy to prey on. "Alabama needs this law because just like everywhere else in America . My sister and I told our parents the next day (and) we were referred to the Children's Advocacy Center by police detectives to be interviewed. Innocence lost. She has now dedicated her life to protecting our nations children. I found (the) freedom and peace I had longed for. That happened until I was 13. 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. These monsters are living in all of our backyards., (Tip: Offender Locator is a great app to have on your smart phone.). [7] She published her diary detailing her cousin's abuse and her own recovery, relapse and reconciliation in book form as Stolen Innocence in 2005. 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. My second abuser, my cousin, came from a family of all boys. Usually, the abuse isnt at the hands of a stranger, rather someone they know and trust. 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. The bill had already passed the House . It was the first time she supported a school mandate, and she retired later that year. 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. 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. Merryn, then 6, was excited about her first sleepover with her kindergarten classmate Ashley. It just turned into a screaming match between my mom and his mom, your son did this, your girls are liars, remembered Erin. Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. "The new bill brings a mandate," Merryn said, "mandating that all (Illinois) schools--pre-school through 12th grade--must begin next fall teaching sexual-abuse prevention education in the schools." He doesnt sleep out ever. Download it here. Child molestation is an epidemic that needs to end now. I also encourage parents to have a code word with their kids, she said. 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. Do you know if it was as healing for him as it was for you? 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. She is an activist against child sexual abuse. She is the force behind passing Erin's Law across America. Realizing I was not a fault and learning to let go of the guilt. I also learned in group how to create a safe place to escape to when memories flooded my memory.While I was not ready at thirteen and fourteen to immediately share the journey of what all I went through because I was still too ashamed the Children's Advocacy Center laid the foundation in my healing to one day let that voice be heard. 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. The parents can then share the information that the schools provided with anyone else in their household. 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. In 2014 People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world along with Oprah and Hillary Clinton. 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. Do not use the phrases good touch and bad touch, says Merryn. It happened again after we moved away, when a cousin started abusing me in my sleep when I was 11 years old. Erin's Law has passed in 21 states and is pending in 22 others. Around the time we were getting ready to move away, my friend had a birthday party. He threatened her to stay silent so she kept her secrets locked away in her childhood diary. MORE: Moms and dads, can we talk about stranger danger? The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. How do you identify? Erin Merryn is author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Children are taught that the police are their to keep their communities safe and lock up the bad people. Erins Law soon caught on nationwide. How do we lessen the control these pressures have on ourselves, our loved ones? Use safe and unsafe touch. The shame is so overwhelming. Has anything particularly heartened you? Named by PEOPLE Magazine a HEROES Among us and one of fifteen women changing the world. Then, Erin said she told her family too. In it, Erin chronicles how she cultivated the strength to face her abuser and eventually found relief from years of emotional restlessness, while also igniting the beginnings of a new fearless journey. 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. What once caused her shame, and something she never wanted to talk about, she now found herself wanting to turn it into a book. Erin Elizabeth had cheerful holidays turned into a fight to protect herself from evil where she often lost. A place I went to with my eleven year old sister and mother. In the wee hours of the night, Ashley's uncle "Richard" (not his real name), who lived in the house with his niece, appeared in the darkened room. 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. Merryn: What caused me to come forward was unfortunately finding out that my little sister was also being abused. Lawmakers are in the dark about this. Alaska Dispatch: Would something like what you are proposing -- Erin's Law -- have helped you? Merryn: I didn't expect a response back from my cousin because my letter was very harsh filled with so much anger and rage. In 2013, Governor Quinn signed it into law requiring Illinois schools to teach it every single year. No one is allowed in the bathroom with you not even your friend. As an adult, she's reclaimed the voice her abusers tried to silence. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. As I often tell people, our innocence was stolen, (our) trust taken, but the one thing we can reclaim as survivors is our voices. It is currently passed in 37 states as of January 2021. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. As a result, she has been interviewed by many major news organizations and TV programs beginning in 2006, on Good Morning America, Oprah, CNN, Today Show, Fox, Katie Couric, Nightline, TLC, OWN, MSNBC, People Magazine, Time Magazine, Glamour Magazine, USA Today, London Times, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and dozens more local media. But both she and her sister did tell their stories. Erin decided at a young age to take a stand against evil and expose the silent epidemic of child sexual abuse in the spotlight. Her dad singled me out during the party. For so many years I stayed angry and bitter towards him. My name is Erin Merryn and I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. You've grown into a powerful voice who is bearing witness to the nation. Unthinkable acts. In just a few short years, she has already persuaded half the countryto pass similar versions of the law. Confronting him empowered me and eventually allowed me to forgive him when he wrote a letter apologizing. But what followed was depression,an eating disorder and a suicide attempt. I really open lawmakers' eyes when I share this with them. Merryn's experiences belie the more common parental fears of "stranger danger." 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. 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 Mar 2004 - Present18 years 7 months Chicago, IL Erin is an author, writer, and activist. The look in this mans eyes, the color shirt he was wearing and the last thing he said to me, Dont you dare tell anybody. Merryn: I cover these two words in my second book, "Living for Today." My abuse first happened at weeks shy of my seventh birthday by a neighbor it went on until age 8 and a half. 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. Every other headline horrifies the public with another predator taking not just advantage of a child but everything from a child. But nobody asked those important questions. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. She urged kids to come forward if they or someone they know is being sexually abused. I am so confident I will get this law passed in all 50 states, because God has already told me it will happen. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. JANESVILLE, Wis. (WMTV) - Illinois woman Erin Merryn spoke in Wisconsin Wednesday, pushing the state to pass the law in her namesake that aims to protect children and prevent child sexual abuse. Bucco introduced Erins Law (S-2145) on May 2. 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. 'S reclaimed the voice her abusers tried to silence a local Dispatch: you have spoken! Bad people being sexually abused her from 11-13 years old do not use the phrases good touch and touch... That in school, her age 12 entry stated few short years, said. Sister did tell their stories it is currently passed in Ohio silence is a group advocating children! Vermont State Board of Education has required it in schools since 2009 herself from where. 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