DrPH Dissertation Defense Presentation: Jackie Saltarelli

DrPH candidate, Jackie Saltarelli, MPH, will defend her dissertation which examines the implementation of Erin's Law in New York State (NYS). Erin's Law, passed in NYS in 2019, requires public school students in grades kindergarten - eight, parents, and teachers to receive child sexual abuse prevention education. This dissertation had two aims. The first was to understand what barriers, facilitators, and district characteristics impact the implementation of Erin's Law in NYS. The second was to identify potential strategies that would support public school districts in implementing Erin's Law in NYS. Using a mixed-methods approach, this dissertation surveyed NYS public school personnel and interviewed principals to understand how Erin's Law is being implemented. Results indicated that while a majority of respondents were aware of Erin's Law, the majority were not implementing all three components of the law. This dissertation provides a case study in how researching the translation of policy into practice can reveal gaps in policy implementation and present opportunities for improvement.