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. Meetings between the two families were called to sort out the problem, to no avail. Merryn says starting when she was six, she was sexually abused by a neighbor, then at 11 by an older cousin. To a child who has been told so many threats to stay silent the idea of being taken to a police station can often scare a child. My sister and I were the only girls that he was around all the time. Erin Merryn speaks with enthusiasm, rattling off the list of trips around the globe, the hours of research and meetings promoting her cause. Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio SenatePrimary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. 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. It was the first time she supported a school mandate, and she retired later that year. How I wondered am I suppose to tell this stranger my pain when I am too ashamed to even talk in detail with my parents about it. However, she said theabuseand rape continueduntil she was almost nine. Here's how to protect your kids from online predators. She was abused. 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, lying next to her with his hands down her underwear. 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. MORE: Cancer-surviving mom stays strong for her son. She has appeared on Oprah, Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, TLC documentary Breaking the Silence, CBS This Morning, Katie Couric, Tamaron Hall, 700 Club, and over 200 local media stations. It is my hope hearing my message today youll see the importance of what Im here to talk to you about, said Erin Merryn. Erins Law soon caught on nationwide. Two of those children were my sister and I. Erin Merryn (Author) 139 ratings Kindle Edition $17.99 Read with Our Free App Paperback $16.56 16 Used from $11.22 5 New from $45.35 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 has now dedicated her life to protecting our nations children. Visit Amazon.au's Erin Merryn Page and shop for all Erin Merryn books. How do we lessen the control these pressures have on ourselves, our loved ones? 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. 46 reviews. 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. Merryn: Many don't realize that there are 42 million survivors in America of child sexual abuse. 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 ability to forgive both my abusers set me free and gave me my voice back and the strength to speak out for others. Now she's on a quest to make sure lawmakers across America hear what she has to stay. It would be many more years until that voice would become the strong, confident woman that I have become. This fundraiser is organized by Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (Caase). Under Erins Law, the New Jersey Commissioner of Education must provide school districts with age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources designed to implement this requirement. She is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for . Merryn: I was terrified. Merryn says a few months ago, a local . One personal safety lesson learned at school that actually helped me in life was "stranger danger." But her parents thought it was because of health problems she was having at the time. Has anything particularly heartened you? I wouldn't have quit my job four years ago as a master's level counselor to go after this had I not been lead by the Lord. He told me, "Your goal is to convince everyone else." 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]. She wanted him to know how much his actions had affected her life. Erins Law encourages research based curriculum, Merryn said. Look out for motels that might house sex offenders. Meanwhile, the survivor who came up with the idea aftersufferingher own personal horrors shared her story with senators Tuesday. I found myself locked in bedrooms, basements, bathrooms, a car, garage and repeatedly assaulted by my cousin.. There, at her friends house, in the middle of the night, she was sexually assaulted by her friends uncle. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. This representative did get on her mic. This decision has brought her on a crusade across America to pass what is known as Erin's Law. It was taught every year, and when a creepy van pulled up when I was 12 having a lemonade and the man put his hand out the window asking me to take the change those lessons immediately played back in my mind. 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. I feel it would have given me the voice that these men took from me. 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. They dont warn us about our own family, they dont teach us that in school, her age 12 entry stated. 4 mos. Learn More. At first, it happened when she was babysitting her younger cousins and their older brother would arrive home before their mother. I am so confident I will get this law passed in all 50 states, because God has already told me it will happen. 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. Here's a glimpse of her life and why she's on a quest for social change. 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. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. 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. . 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? 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. I just figured I told my mom, and I never had to talk about this again. Well, something shocking happened. You have permission to edit this article. "Erin Merryn's Law," a bill that will create a task force to study child sexual abuse in West Virginia, passed the state Senate unanimously on Monday. On Thursday, Quinn signed "Erin's Law" at the Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County in Hoffman Estates. I am a survivor. See the sex abuse in Israel's ultra-orthodox community. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. In a Q&A with Alaska Dispatch before boarding her flight north, Merryn wasn't shy about sharing the difficulties she's experienced, including a suicide attempt, or the one thing that happened to make her finally tell someone she was being hurt. (2012) Fox News Self - Author of 'An Unimaginable Act'. Merryn saidif parents are not comfortable, the bill allows parents toopt their kids out of the education. My sister and I both left with stuffed animals and feeling like our secret was now in good hands. 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. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. After enduring a childhood filled w. Again, she was told to keep quiet, that no one would believe her if she said anything and that she had no proof. Erin Elizabeth had cheerful holidays turned into a fight to protect herself from evil where she often lost. 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. Sponsored by Rep. Geran Tarr, D-Anchorage, HB 233 puts Alaska among the states considering "Erin's Law" in 2014. Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. The law has now passed in 37 states. I left all the fragmented sentences, misspelled words, because I wanted readers to hear the voice of a young child.. 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. Says Merryn: "[Ashley] made me pinky promise not to say anything. I think he knew that once he had us conditioned, we were easy targets. Merryn: What caused me to come forward was unfortunately finding out that my little sister was also being abused. 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. I often say victims are those who are killed by their attackers. [2] The family pressed charges, and the cousin eventually confessed to three counts of child sexual abuse. She was honored for her efforts in 2012 as one of Glamour Magazines 2012 Women of the Year. From the age of 11 to 13, I was repeatedly sexually abused at the hands of a family member, an older cousin, she said. Teaching kids the differences between safe and unsafe touch, safe and unsafe secrets, how to report this to a safe adult and to keep reporting it if your abuse does not end, said Merryn. Ill never be abused again, its just all gonna go away.. More than 90 percent of children who are sexually abused know their attacker, Bucco said with conviction. Download it here. The bill had already passed the House . Erin Merryn testified Tuesday in an Ohio Senate committee about 'Erin's Law.' 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. I didnt want to talk to anyone about this. He threatened her to stay silent so she kept her secrets locked away in her childhood diary. 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