Sexual abuse prevention may soon be taught in state schools
by: Amy Clancy Updated: Mar 23, 2017 - 3:52 PM
One in four American girls -- and one in six boys -- will be sexually abused by the time they turn 18, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Nearly all of those children are victimized by someone they know and trust.
Erin Merryn told lawmakers in Olympia on Thursday that her first abuser was the uncle of a friend. He started raping her when she was 6 years old, during sleepovers.
“I didn’t know the difference between safe and unsafe touch, safe and unsafe secrets,” she testified. “Did I know how to tell my mom the next morning when she picked me up? No. No one had educated me on it."
Merryn was asked to speak to the House Committee on Education on behalf of Erin’s Law. Since 2010, Merryn has testified all over the country about the importance of adopting age-appropriate school curriculum that teaches children from kindergarten through grade 12 how to speak out about sexual abuse.
As a result of her efforts, Erin's Law has been implemented in 28 states.
READ MORE AND SEE VIDEO: http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/sexual-abuse-prevention-may-soon-be-taught-in-state-schools/505484071