See her personal website at ErinMerryn.net. [5] Stolen Innocencewas published soon after. Erin is a mom to three little girls. The only difference is now I am running from him in my dreams" (Merryn 49). 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. 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. --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. The path to justice for survivors of sexual assault is not an easy road. Thirty-seven states have passed Erins Law and Merryn has tried three times in seven years to get the bill passed in Ohio. How do we lessen the control these pressures have on ourselves, our loved ones? At age 17, she attempted suicide. tax-exempt 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Unfortunately for many survivors they never see their perpetrators held accountable. Erin Merryn is the author of three books about surviving incest, including "Living for Today." She also speaks nationally on the subject. But both she and her sister did tell their stories. Known For. 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. She wanted him to know how much his actions had affected her life. What if their family is pressuring them to just keep quiet and get on with their life? 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 broke down and cried and said Erin's Law could have saved her as a child, but instead she only got the message from her abuser, who she knew, and stayed silent. But where were the eight ways on how to "get away and tell today?" Throughout her school years, Erin Merryn of Schaumburg, Ill., received plenty of lessons in the dangers her elders thought she could encounter during her childhood. It happened again after we moved away, when a cousin started abusing me in my sleep when I was 11 years old. Merryn now had a duty as a big sister to protect her younger sibling. 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. . Ensuring all New Jersey kids have access to age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention education will end the cycle of abuse before it begins. I didnt want to talk to anyone about this. Children learn all kinds of safety lessons in schools, like how to deal with natural disasters, fires and strangers. The words of my cousin began haunting 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. 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 was the father of my best friend. 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. 46 reviews. 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. Merryn cautions that you can never just go by how many registered sex offenders are in your area. I remember being so utterly confused.. Low near 30F. InDecember 2015 President Obama signed thefederal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding for schools to use. 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!. Nightmares. I can remember that as if it happened yesterday. That happened until I was 13. In 2008, Erin decided to step up her efforts to protect children nationwide and started writing state legislators to ask them to pass laws requiring schools to better educate children, school employees and parents how to prevent and stop child sexual abuse. 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. (See Gary Glitter's sex scandal.). Alaska's version of Erin's Law is currently under consideration by the Alaska State Legislature as House Bill 233. The school, community organization, day care center, etc. She is the author of Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. "It's something that is going to be with me the rest of my life," Erin said. Who encouraged you to keep talking, to keep fighting? Through her speeches and books, Erin is an inspiration to professionals working daily to fight child abuse. Says Merryn: "[Ashley] made me pinky promise not to say anything. The only message I got as a child came from my abusers and that was to stay silent or else, she said. 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. The book is titled "Stolen Innocence." 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. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. Her dad singled me out during the party. She has made it her mission in life to get this legislation passed in all 50 states. I tell parents the best way to talk to kids about this is through the swimsuit lesson, Merryn said. 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 . Meanwhile, the survivor who came up with the idea aftersufferingher own personal horrors shared her story with senators Tuesday. A week later, she got a reply. I wish I could say that Erins story is uncommon, but that is far from the truth its happening right here in our own backyard, Bucco said. 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. We need to start teaching kids this, she said. 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. My mom was a mess, that day she probably cried for 10 straight hours, looking at my dad saying, we missed all the red flags, her grades, she was depressed, Erin recalled. She earned a master's degree from Aurora University in social work. There, at her friends house, in the middle of the night, she was sexually assaulted by her friends uncle. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. I also encourage parents to have a code word with their kids, she said. The abuse went on for years. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. 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. Erin Merryn from Elgin, Illinois, was just weeks shy of her seventh birthday when she was raped by an adult neighbor. Merryn said the abuse only stopped because her family moved away. Eleven states have passed the legislation. 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. Motel management is NOT obligated to tell guests sex offenders are next door. Here's a glimpse of her life and why she's on a quest for social change. Merryn worked with U.S. Every other headline horrifies the public with another predator taking not just advantage of a child but everything from a child. Is there anything about your life circumstances that you think made you a target? Has anything particularly heartened you? Erin's Law is the first US child sexual abuse prevention education law requiring children be educated in schools. My question to hotel or motel management would be, Why not tell? She knew exactly what she was doing by asking simple questions on my life, friends, what I did for fun, and my family. The case never went to trial, and Brian received some counseling, but no punishment. The family pressed charges against Brian, who ultimately admitted to three counts of sexual abuse. This went on for a month before police got involved. Merryn saidif parents are not comfortable, the bill allows parents toopt their kids out of the education. Lawmakers are in the dark about this. 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