Marilyn Van Derbur
CO, US
Former Miss America who shares her story of abuse as a child and advocates for awareness
Marilyn Van Derbur, crowned Miss America 1958, possessed looks, wit, and intelligence. She also possessed a devastating secret that she did not speak about or even admit: From the age of 5 until she was 18, Marilyn's wealthy and prominent father sexually molested her. Van Derbur suppressed her memories of the abuse until, at age 45, her life shut down. For six long years, Van Derbur struggled to overcome the memories and feelings that overwhelmed her. As childhood incest survivor, Van Derbur has since devoted much of her adult life to raising national awareness and understanding of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and their long term effects. In 1989 she asked the Kempe Center in Denver to develop an adult incest survivor program; and in 1993 she co-founded two national not-for-profit organizations dedicated to public education and to strengthening laws protecting victims of sexual abuse. Since 1991, Van Derbur has spoken in 194 cities and personally answered over 7,000 letters, and has been in personal contact with more adults who were sexually violated as children than anyone else in America. Realizing that a high percentage of children had been violated by teenagers, Van Derbur produced "Once Can Hurt a Lifetime," a video educating teenagers about the long-term trauma that can be caused by violating a younger child. Sixty-three PBS stations including New York City, Philadelphia and Detroit aired the video in primetime. After addressing 26 medical conferences nationwide, Van Derbur was asked to produce two films to educate medical students and health care professionals about the importance of identifying child abuse histories in adult patients and recognizing the connection between childhood trauma and adult medical problems. Van Derbur has co-founded two national non-profit organizations based in Washington, DC, which provide public education and awareness to help strengthen the laws protecting adult survivors and child victims and to stopping the sexual violations of children. She has received national awards from the Secretary of Health and Human Services for Exceptional Achievement in Public Service, the Distinguished Community Service Award from the Anti Defamation League and the Individual Award from CHILDHELP. She lectures nationally in an effort to provide awareness on the issues of child abuse and domestic violence. MOST REQUESTED PROGRAMS A Story of Hope
Marilyn Van Derbur, crowned Miss America 1958, possessed looks, wit, and intelligence. She also possessed a devastating secret that she did not speak about or even admit: From the age of 5 until she was 18, Marilyn's wealthy and prominent father sexually molested her. Van Derbur suppressed her memories of the abuse until, at age 45, her life shut down. For six long years, Van Derbur struggled to overcome the memories and feelings that overwhelmed her. As childhood incest survivor, Van Derbur has since devoted much of her adult life to raising national awareness and understanding of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and their long term effects. In 1989 she asked the Kempe Center in Denver to develop an adult incest survivor program; and in 1993 she co-founded two national not-for-profit organizations dedicated to public education and to strengthening laws protecting victims of sexual abuse. Since 1991, Van Derbur has spoken in 194 cities and personally answered over 7,000 letters, and has been in personal contact with more adults who were sexually violated as children than anyone else in America. Realizing that a high percentage of children had been violated by teenagers, Van Derbur produced "Once Can Hurt a Lifetime," a video educating teenagers about the long-term trauma that can be caused by violating a younger child. Sixty-three PBS stations including New York City, Philadelphia and Detroit aired the video in primetime. After addressing 26 medical conferences nationwide, Van Derbur was asked to produce two films to educate medical students and health care professionals about the importance of identifying child abuse histories in adult patients and recognizing the connection between childhood trauma and adult medical problems. Van Derbur has co-founded two national non-profit organizations based in Washington, DC, which provide public education and awareness to help strengthen the laws protecting adult survivors and child victims and to stopping the sexual violations of children. She has received national awards from the Secretary of Health and Human Services for Exceptional Achievement in Public Service, the Distinguished Community Service Award from the Anti Defamation League and the Individual Award from CHILDHELP. She lectures nationally in an effort to provide awareness on the issues of child abuse and domestic violence. MOST REQUESTED PROGRAMS A Story of Hope
2010