Years of research show that robust healthy relationship education can pull many levers in a young person’s life. One sphere it can impact is child sexual abuse prevention.

Erin’s Law, passed in 35 states, requires that all public schools implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program.The Mary Black Foundation in South Carolina has used Love Notes to help classrooms meet that requirement.

Learn from Anita Barbee, Ph.D. from the University of Louisville, the research underpinnings that make Love Notes such an effective sexual abuse prevention intervention.

Then hear from Polly Edwards-Padgett how the Mary Black Foundation selected Love Notes, gained access to the schools, their implementation approach, including funding, and how you can explore doing the same in your state.

Objectives:

1. Identify how Love Notes helps in the prevention of sexual abuse.
2. Exam Erin’s Law to see how it has expanded the opportunities for Sexual Abuse Prevention education in the classroom.
3. Hear from a community leader about how they implement Love Notes to satisfy the requirements for Erin’s Law

Presenters:

• Anita Barbee, PhD, MSSW, Professor and Distinguished University Scholar President, International Association for Relationship Research Lead Evaluator, Children’s Bureau Quality Improvement Center on Workforce Development Principal Investigator, FYSB SRAE Grant Champs II: Love Notes Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville
• Polly Edwards-Padgett, Adolescent Health Project Director, The Mary Black Foundation, Spartanburg, SC

Resources:

• Erin’s Law Videos
• Connect Handout