Quotes by Erin Merryn

About Erin Merryn:

Erin Merryn is an American writer and activist from Schaumburg, Illinois who advocates the prevention of child sexual abuse. Beginning in 2010, she launched a campaign to pass a law that would mandate a sexual abuse prevention curriculum in schools, and has since seen it successfully passed in several states.
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Hiding my pain and acting strong, afraid to cry and show my tears, I struggle with all this years later.

Erin Merryn

Though no longer living in silence, I continued to carry pain and memories.

Erin Merryn

Imagine the message that sent to my sister and me. A cousin violates us, confesses, and walks away with barely a slap on the wrist. I learned at a young age that if I was ever going to see justice for the wrongs done to me, I had to find it myself.

Erin Merryn

By opening the door to my life, it is my hope and mission to shed light on the hidden wounds of abuse, to end the stigma and shame associated with abuse, and to show survivors true courage, strength, inspiration, and determination.

Erin Merryn

I felt like I needed to comfort both the little girl inside me and my mother, assuring them that neither of them could have prevented the rape. I didn't want my mother to blame herself and I didn't want to blame the little girl inside of me for not s...

Erin Merryn

The very first part in healing is shattering the silence,

Erin Merryn

So often parents of abused children feel helpless. When a child falls, and scrapes her knees parents can erase the hurt by kissing it and putting a Band-Aid on it, but not so with the pain of sexual abuse.

Erin Merryn

When I felt as though I had reached land, it was like I was on a deserted sandy beach, feeling isolated and afraid to share with anyone the memories that haunted me.

Erin Merryn

My goal in going public was not to put my extended family to shame, or to get back at Brian for abusing my sister and me; rather, my mission was to give a face and voice to an epidemic that society stays hushed about.

Erin Merryn

I think repressing what happened is what saved me in my childhood. I was able to use my imagination to create happy events, but a little girl can carry only so much on her own.

Erin Merryn

Because it is so hard, some people wait until they are in their thirties, forties, fifties, or even older before breaking their silence.

Erin Merryn

As in so many cases of sexual abuse within the family, it is much more complicated than had it been done by a stranger.

Erin Merryn

While my sister and I were reminded we did not cause this pain, it was knowing that because we broke our silence about what had been done to us, our parents were hurting. That knowledge was hard on us.

Erin Merryn

She was so upset about a blog that maybe a total of six people read yet had no compassion for her granddaughters who had suffered the physical and emotional pains of sexual abuse and whose lives were changed forever. The two cannot even be compared, ...

Erin Merryn

I lived through this horror, and no one can tell me I have to stay quiet. "I have been silenced long enough, and I will not allow that family to silence me again. I will continue to speak out and make sure my voice is heard.

Erin Merryn

As I faced each tragedy in my life, I learned to reach into the depth of my soul for strength and determination. Through this healing process, I discovered perseverance and resilience. I could not go into the past and use White-Out to erase any event...

Erin Merryn

Author Bio

  • NameErin Merryn
  • DescriptionAmerican writer
  • Born1986