Finding Hope Through Prevention: A Q&A with Erica Merrill, Culture Reframed Program Assistant
After years of supporting children and families through social work and forensic interviewing, Erica Merrill saw firsthand the evolving challenges young people face in our ever-changing digital and hypersexualized culture. In this Q&A, she shares what drew her to Culture Reframed, why its mission resonates so deeply, and what she’s most excited to support to help advance education, advocacy, and prevention efforts to create a safer future for young people.
What drew you to Culture Reframed?
Social work is not an easy path or career, and maybe that’s why I chose it. From the beginning of my career, I have dedicated myself to helping children and families affected by abuse and maltreatment. I started working at a Family Support Center (FSC) as a Resource Specialist, helping meet individual and family needs despite having no budget or funding. During this time, I became increasingly involved with our neighboring Child Advocacy Center (CAC), where I saw firsthand the impact of Child Forensic Interviewing. I knew it was the path I wanted to pursue.
During my time as a forensic interviewer, I witnessed significant changes in the types of victimization children and teenagers disclose. While professionals receive training on the links between substance abuse, domestic violence, and child abuse, nothing seems to explain the rise in child-on-child victimization, problematic sexualized behaviors, and violent sexual behaviors among youth.
That changed when our leadership team introduced Culture Reframed and Dr. Mandy Sanchez. As Mandy presented on the effects of pornography and hypersexualized media, the missing piece finally clicked. I could immediately connect what she was saying to interviews and cases I had experienced, and it became clear that pornography was an important part of the conversation we had been missing.
Why is Culture Reframed’s mission and work important to you?
One of my favorite quotes is from Captain America: “When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world: ‘No, you move.’”
After listening to Mandy present and learning about Culture Reframed’s mission, I truly felt that they were the epitome of that quote. Each day, despite what the press, big tech, legislatures, and policymakers say, Culture Reframed plants itself beside the river of truth, and they fight back, saying, “No, you move, you change. What’s happening is wrong.”
That’s what’s important to me: being brave enough to say when something is wrong, standing by that, creating change for younger generations and those to come, and being an advocate.
Are there specific Culture Reframed initiatives or topics related to the work that you’re especially looking forward to supporting?
One of my favorite initiatives at Culture Reframed is advocating for age-verification legislation and influencing it globally. The thought of being part of this movement gives me chills, and I hope others will join the fight along the way.
There has been an uptick in sadistic online exploitation (SOE) networks for a while now, and I am glad to see information being pushed out on those and more safety tips for children online. Supporting this initiative is important because technology is not going anywhere.
Therefore, children deserve access to healthy, safe technology just as they deserve a healthy, safe childhood.
I’m really looking forward to supporting the Parent Programs because I believe parents are one of the first and most important lines of prevention. The Youth Advisory Council will be a great program to follow as well, as these young individuals are advocating for change within their own communities and schools. It will be exciting to see more of this information make its way into schools and reach children it might not otherwise reach.
What are you most excited about in the new role?
Although I have been dedicated to serving my small, rural community and still am, I am excited to see the global and world response to Culture Reframed’s initiatives and efforts.
I’m also excited to see some hope restored for communities that have been unable to link what is happening around them to pornography and hypersexualized media. Helping them understand that link and providing the resources to do so can connect children, individuals, families, and communities to the education and prevention they need for a safer future.
Lastly, I’m excited about connecting with new partners, collaborators, parents, and legislators- whomever we can reach to spread the information far and wide to create change.
Can you share a fun fact about yourself?
I love to cook and bake bread and sweets, mostly for other people, but I feel like food is an unwritten love language, and sometimes, where I’m from, food is even its own currency.
I also love rock music and bluegrass. There’s something about a stringed instrument being picked that I just love – especially when it’s live music in Appalachia, where bluegrass is from!
