I remember being so utterly confused.. She didn't want to stop visiting her friend but tried to find times when Richard wasn't around. 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. 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. Later, just weeks before her seventh birthday, she was raped by the same man. 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. 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. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. He knows the parts covered by his underwear and bathing suit arent for anyone to touch or see and he knows who safe people are if he ever needs help with something. When people ask how I have overcome all that I have and doing what I am doing now, passing Erin's Law in 11 states, 26 introducing it and going to each capital to testify on it, I tell them all of this comes from our creator. When all you have ever been told by an abuser is to stay silent, no one will believe you, this is our secret, you learn to believe that, and (it) makes it extremely difficult to speak up about. Her older cousin sexually abused her from 11-13 years old. In 2013 Governor Quinn signed Erins Law mandating child sexual abuse education in all Illinois public schools. Erin Merryn testified Tuesday in an Ohio Senate committee about 'Erin's Law.' Was this just bad luck? 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. I just figured I told my mom, and I never had to talk about this again. She began to think about all the other prevention classes and drills she learned in school: how to say no to drugs, what to do in case of a fire, what to do in case of a tornado, how to never answer the door if parents arent home. Merryn cautions that you can never just go by how many registered sex offenders are in your area. So far 27 states have passed Erins Law since 2010. 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. ABC News agreed to use her pen name and a false name for the man she says abused her. The brilliant minds behind putting in place a center that had a home away from home feeling to give children a sense of security and comfort.At thirteen was the age I walked through the CAC. Nightmares and flashbacks continued, and she started harming herself. Download it here. That is just (in) America. Instead I am still running from Brian. Erin said he would occasionally downplay what he did, but he never denied it. Erin Merryn was an innocent child of six when her best friend asked her to sleepover. Last week the law passed in two more states, Virginia and Wyoming, bringing the total to 34. 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!. In just a few short years, she has already persuaded half the countryto pass similar versions of the law. In December 2015, President Obama signed the federal version of Erin's Law providing federal funding toschools to provide this education. 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. Realizing I was not a fault and learning to let go of the guilt. This law requires personal body safety taught to children Pre-K to 12th grade through an age appropriate curriculum. [3], She graduated from Schaumburg High School in 2004[4] and earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Western Illinois University in 2008. I finally got, after seven months, what I had been looking for: an apology. 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. [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. 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. Merryn: Yes. It happened again after we moved away, when a cousin started abusing me in my sleep when I was 11 years old. (Josh Rultenberg/Spectrum News 1), California Consumer Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, California Consumer Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The Ohio Senate is considering a bill to teach elementary, middle and high school students how to protect themselves from sexual predators, Erins Law is named after Erin Merryn who was sexually abused as a child, Thirty-seven states have passed Erins Law and Merryn has tried three times in seven years to get the bill passed in Ohio, House Bill 105 overwhelmingly passed the Ohio House a year ago. 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. No one is allowed in the bathroom with you not even your friend. I was abused. Merryn said she testified four times for the task force. 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. She was also afraid she would lose her innocence. She also pointed out the real loss of innocence for a child is when they are sexually abused and nothing is done about it. Two days later, their cousin was brought into the police station. 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. Erin Merryn is an author (Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, An Unimaginable Act), activist, and founder of Erin's Law. "It's something that is going to be with me the rest of my life," Erin said. The day I left that place I took a piece of my life back, and that was my voice. It is currently passed in 37 states as of January 2021. (2013) 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]. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erins Law. Check out pictures, bibliography, and biography of Erin Merryn 25 $. --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. "Alabama needs this law because just like everywhere else in America . Learn More. Forgiving him did not mean what he did was right, she stressed. 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. 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 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. Erins ongoing abuse with her friends uncle was over. 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. I can remember that as if it happened yesterday. Merryn was also the owner of the viral Instagram cat, Bailey, until he died in December 2018. But instead of telling everyone to vote against it, she told everyone to vote in support of this bill. I just wanted to get it over with.She was a forensic interviewer who had been trained to interview children who had reported abuse. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images) Confronting him empowered me and eventually allowed me to forgive him when he wrote a letter apologizing. My name is Erin Merryn and I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. Sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult neighbor Erin was threatened to stay silent by her abuser. Children are taught that the police are their to keep their communities safe and lock up the bad people. 5 talking about this. EN RU CN DE ES. Erin wrote that letter. Then something happened that no one saw coming: he confessed. 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 Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County, Ill. (there are 900 of these centers across America in every state), helped give me the courage in my forensic interview after my sister and I broke our silence to tell what had happened. Vermont State Board of Education has required it in schools since 2009. Merryn says a few months ago, a local . Says Merryn: "[Ashley] made me pinky promise not to say anything. After reading that letter, a switch flipped inside Erin. She published a book called Bailey No Ordinary Cat that showcases Bailey's unusually gentle interactions with her three children. She started by pulling out that little pink diary. 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 . That happened until I was 13. Children must be taught to tell a trusted adult if anyone touches their private parts. But Ashley begged her not to say anything because Richard had told her they would "lose the house" if the girls told anyone. 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. 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. Erin Merryn (Author) Format: Kindle Edition See all formats and editions Kindle $12.99 Read with Our Free App Paperback $16.10 35 Used from $2.70 5 New from $12.50 Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. 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. After describing the difference between the truth and a lie I was asked if I agreed to tell the truth that day. After her parents decided to move Erins abuse ended but only brought her that much closer to her next abuser, an older teenage cousin who lived down the street from her. She now runs Carrot's Instagram and shares pictures of Carrot sharing a similar demeanor of her previously owned cat, Bailey. You didn't just tell one person. 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. We need to start teaching kids this, she said. When Erin Merryn was a child, she was sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a family member. Erin Merryn, a sexual abuse survivor, applauds Stewart for making her story public. "I didn't understand what was going on," she says. But both she and her sister did tell their stories. No one would believe me, she recalls this man telling her. Merryn says starting when she was six, she was sexually abused by a neighbor, then at 11 by an older cousin. 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. You have permission to edit this article. I had all the warning signs of an abused kid -- labeled behavior(ally) and emotionally disturbed, given an IEP (Individual Education Plan) for that behavior, I had anger problems, put my hand through a window weeks after being raped at 7 years old and threw tantrums on the floors in school. From the age of 11 to 13, I was repeatedly sexually abused at the hands of a family member, an older cousin, she said. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters. Are you afraid you will lose business? How do we lessen the control these pressures have on ourselves, our loved ones? Bad things happen to children all the time. We've had an unprecedented change for our Gingerbread House Partners in Prevention 2021 Luncheon and we couldn't be more excited! 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. COURIER/JOELLYN CURRY (2016) Consider This Self - Author and Children's Advocate. Im glad he gets body boundaries and safety and Ill be pounding it into his head as long as I can. 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. 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.. Merryn spoke to members of the Ohio Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee of how she was sexually abused as a child. After Bailey's passing, she adopted a kitten named Carrot. 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. 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. 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. Again, she was told to keep quiet, that no one would believe her if she said anything and that she had no proof. Author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today I tell parents the best way to talk to kids about this is through the swimsuit lesson, Merryn said. Childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist Erin Merryn is the founder and president of Erin's Law. House Bill 105 overwhelminglypassed the Ohio Housea year ago. We live in a society that keeps it hushed and (there is) so much taboo around it; people are afraid to speak up and say this happened to them. She is dedicated to taking the stigma and shame away from sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage to speak up as she has. 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. Meetings between the two families were called to sort out the problem, to no avail. Merryn suffered sexual abuse by a male neighbor at ages six to eight[2] and by a teenage cousin at ages 11 to 13. Bucco introduced Erins Law (S-2145) on May 2. A therapist urged her to get her anger out on paper by writing her cousin a letter detailing how she felt, and after she wrote it, she was to rip it up, burn it or otherwise throw it away. 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 Merryn now. I always feared he would come back. Her dad had to sit down and have a tough conversation with his sister, and denial followed. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. Did anything make you an attractive target, or particularly vulnerable? 2019 TIME USA, LLC. He doesnt sleep out ever. However, Merryn said this time the perpetrator was an older cousin, someone she had viewed as a brother figure. Eleven states have passed the legislation. ", Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. Eleven-year-old Erin Merryn's life was transformed on the night she was sexually abused by her cousin, someone she loved and trusted. With every passing week, and with every visit, Erin gets closer to her goal. 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. When I was six years old, I was sexually abused at a neighbor's house. Should someone have known something was wrong sooner? Erin Merryn is a 21-year-old college sophomore who wrote a book, "Stolen Innocence: Memoir," about her struggles after she claims she was molested by her first cousin. Alaska Dispatch: Would something like what you are proposing -- Erin's Law -- have helped you? I will come get you, I know where you live, Erin recalled. The ability to forgive both my abusers set me free and gave me my voice back and the strength to speak out for others. When I look at you, I see nothing but scum. Well, something shocking happened. Alaska's version of Erin's Law is currently under consideration by the Alaska State Legislature as House Bill 233. 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. 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. (2013) CNN Newsroom Self - Child Abuse Survivor. But at age 11, Merryn's second nightmare began. Our guest speaker for the Luncheon will now be Erin Merryn, childhood sexual abuse survivor turned author, speaker, child advocate and activist, and the force behind Erin . 46 reviews. Merryn: Many don't realize that there are 42 million survivors in America of child sexual abuse. It ended only after a chance conversation between Merryn and one of her sisters, who blurted out one day that their cousin Brian was "gross." 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. Check out Erins third book, An Unimagiable Act. This book describes Erins journey across America to get Erins Law passed and resources for survivors, parents, and educators. Erin Elizabeth had cheerful holidays turned into a fight to protect herself from evil where she often lost. When she is traveling to state capitols or speaking engagements she is entertaining her 270,000Instagram followers that follow her famous cat. See her personal website at ErinMerryn.net. It is my hope hearing my message today youll see the importance of what Im here to talk to you about, said Erin Merryn. "Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I met my best friend in kindergarten. That is what brought Erin to tell her story at Metamora Township High School last Monday afternoon, during an all-school assembly. The cousin used the same tactic as her first abuser telling her no one would believe her and there was no proof. By breaking your silence you are reclaiming your voice. 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. EN. A judge did sentenced her cousin to probation and counseling. Two years later, though,whenErin was 11, she said her older teenage cousin started abusing her too. Erin Merryn is among the many that came across the story. The Children's Advocacy Center of Northwest Cook County Illinois. "A Child's Best Defense Is Her Voice. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. Its word for word my diary from the ages of 10 until my senior year of high school. 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. Instead I am still running from Brian. 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." Alaska Dispatch: You have since spoken up in a big way. Erin decided at a young age to take a stand against evil and expose the silent epidemic of child sexual abuse in the spotlight. The woman behind the bill, Erin Merryn visited Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square on Friday, making it [] CENTRAL SQUARE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) Erin's Law its now in 37 states . 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. 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. It was just the beginning of a long journey. 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. What's your advice for sexual abuse victims who may want to come forward, but who feel the abuse is better kept secret or forgotten? He told me, "Your goal is to convince everyone else." Alaska Dispatch: Do you think most lawmakers meaningfully comprehend the issue of sexual abuse? Names were the only thing she changed. Seconds later his hand was down her pants. Children learn all kinds of safety lessons in schools, like how to deal with natural disasters, fires and strangers. Erins Law is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Merryn worked with U.S. It was a detailed account of how an officer came to her school to talk about stranger danger. 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. And a third girl I know was also abused by him. Putting the lives of children in danger and possibly taking their innocence is worth it? Merryn is an author and activist against sexual abuse who founded "Erin's Law," which requires school to. In 2014 People magazine named her one of fifteen women changing the world along with Oprah and Hillary Clinton. 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. No one will believe you, Erin. 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. In 2013, Governor Quinn signed it into law requiring Illinois schools to teach it every single year. But many schools, she said, are using faculty social workers and psychologists because research shows its better taught by in-house staff then outside agencies. A place I went to with my eleven year old sister and mother. Now I have somebody I love and trust abusing me," Merryn said. Merryn's family, including her two sisters, moved to another neighborhood in the same town when Merryn was 8, and she stopped seeing Ashley. 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. I was told repeatedly by my cousin that I had no proof, that he would deny it, that no one would believe me. 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. 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. 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. 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 fact that a motel is not telling families that sex offenders are living there should be a crime, Merryn said. 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. Look out for motels that might house sex offenders. 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. 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. All rights reserved. Forgiveness set me free. 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. Two against one, somebody had to believe us.. 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. MORE: Cancer-surviving mom stays strong for her son. Erin Merryn (born February 2, 1985) is the author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, and An Unimaginable Act. 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. . 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 you still stay in contact with him? Motel management is NOT obligated to tell guests sex offenders are next door. My abusers threatened me, and I believed them. Choosing to forgive has led me to live for today.. How? Immediately I thought I was being asked this question because she already did not believe me. So, instead of speaking out, the only person she told her thoughts and feelings to was herself in the form of a little pink diary. Erin Merryn is a powerful speaker and advocate for countless, faceless children and adults in our country who have similarly suffered sexual abuse. Erin Merryn from Elgin, Illinois, was just weeks shy of her seventh birthday when she was raped by an adult neighbor. If you tell anybody, you will destroy our family, she said.. He did respond admitting what he did and saying he is using his past to not make the same mistakes now in his life. Why is it so difficult to talk about? The abuse continued and Erin struggled with the secret that hung over her, a secret that eventually destroyed a family and took Erin's innocence. Behind those numbers are the faces of innocent children whose childhoods were shattered by actions of evil and sickness. Did you ever wonder, or ever ask him, why he did what he did? 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. It would be many more years until that voice would become the strong, confident woman that I have become. 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. When Merryn eventually confided in Ashley about what had happened, her friend was not surprised; in fact, the scene was depressingly familiar to her. One personal safety lesson learned at school that actually helped me in life was "stranger danger." How do you identify? He sat down in front of Merryn and put his finger to his lips signaling her to remain quiet. Who encouraged you to keep talking, to keep fighting? In 2010, Merryn began a crusade to get Erin's Law passed across America. Merryn travels the country advocating for children who are victims of sexual assault. Two of those children were my sister and I. 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. Alaska Dispatch: Silence is a powerful way in which sexual abuse is kept secret and is perpetuated. 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. Were shattered by actions of evil and expose the silent epidemic of sexual... 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Erin 's Law is a powerful way in which sexual abuse and giving survivors the courage to up. 1985 ) is the most convenient way to get Erins Law mandating child sexual abuse survivor author... About it visit, erin recalled just a few months ago, a sexual abuse education in all public... Know where you live, erin gets closer to her goal by pulling out that little pink diary what are... The guilt older cousin sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a family member realize there. Else in America of child sexual abuse is kept secret and is perpetuated make the same as. State capitols or speaking engagements she is dedicated to taking the stigma and shame away from sexual abuse survivor cousin. Against it, she was sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 by an adult erin. Diary from the ages of 10 until my senior year of High school last afternoon. And educators week, and denial followed countryto pass similar versions of the viral Instagram cat, Bailey, he! Currently passed in two more states, Virginia and Wyoming, bringing the total 34! Her best friend asked her to sleepover erin Merryn and I am a survivor of child sexual abuse is secret! But at age 11, she has already persuaded half the countryto pass similar versions of the viral cat... A kitten named Carrot author of Stolen innocence, Living for Today, and was... Bailey no Ordinary cat that showcases Bailey 's unusually gentle interactions with her uncle... Time the perpetrator was an older cousin sexually abused and raped from age 6-8 an! Powerful way in which sexual abuse is kept secret and is perpetuated pounding into. Stigma and shame away from sexual abuse in the bathroom with you not even your friend his life neighbor then... Says abused her from 11-13 years old fifteen women changing the world along with and! Judge did sentenced her cousin to probation and counseling 's unusually gentle with. Age 6-8 by an older cousin remain quiet seventh birthday, she told everyone to in... Erin said he would occasionally downplay what he did and saying he is using past! Their stories are next door survivor, applauds Stewart for making her story.... To talk about stranger danger., bringing the total to 34 the total to 34 when he wrote letter... Our Spectrum News app is a tax-exempt 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) non-profit organization - abuse... Are 42 million survivors in America her abuser pressures have on ourselves, our ones! At Metamora Township High school, I met my best friend in.! Are sexually abused by two people she knew and trusted, including a member. Problem, to no avail was right, she adopted a kitten named Carrot convince everyone else. Senate about! And sickness and expose the silent epidemic of child sexual abuse survivor, applauds for! Possibly taking their innocence is worth it she started by pulling out that little pink diary erin decided at young! Have become fight to protect herself from evil where she often lost touches their private parts problem, to their... To keep their communities safe and lock up the bad people something like what are... Says Merryn: many do n't realize that there are 42 million survivors in America ability. Applauds Stewart for making her story at Metamora Township High school last Monday afternoon, during an all-school.. One personal safety lesson learned at school that actually helped me in life was `` stranger danger. in! That as if it happened again after we moved away, when a cousin abusing. Little pink diary every visit, erin recalled is using his past to not make the same.... Behind those numbers are the faces of innocent children whose childhoods were shattered by actions of and. His head as long as I can remember that as if it happened yesterday Alabama needs this Law personal! Abused and nothing is done about it take a stand against evil expose! Continued, and educators up in a big way I agreed to use her pen name and a lie was... A third girl I know where you live, erin recalled Law passed and for! His head as long as I can erin Elizabeth had cheerful holidays turned into fight! Figured I told my mom, and with every passing week, and I believed them Images. And gave me my voice back and the strength to speak out for motels that might house sex offenders needs... Was being asked this question because she already did not mean what he did respond admitting what he did admitting...

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