Sharon
Gandarilla-Javier
Education
Ph.D., School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, SUNY (2020): Social Welfare, IPV, Policing, and Social Work Practice.
M.S.W., Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University (2013)
M.A., Criminal Justice – Specialization in Criminology and Deviance, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (2009)
Graduate Certificate, Police Studies, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (2002)
B.A., Criminal Justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (1998)
She brings over two decades of combined experience in public safety and social work. A first-generation Latina, she graduated from John Jay College in 1998 and later completed the NYPD Graduate Certificate Program. She earned her M.A. in Criminal Justice with a specialization in Criminology and Deviance from John Jay College and her Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University at Albany (SUNY). She served as a New York City Police Officer for 10 years and has been a licensed social worker for 14 years, holding licenses in New York, Maryland, and New Jersey. She has taught PSC 202: Police and Diversity, PSC 235: Women in Policing, and PSC 324: Police Use of Force. Her research focuses on intimate partner violence (IPV) among Latina women and, more recently, examines police use of force and police–social work co-response models to address mental health crises. A certified TF-CBT practitioner and NYPD-certified Methods of Instruction (MOI) trainer. Additionally, she also provides a 2-hour domestic violence training for NASW Florida. She has served as NASW Florida Chapter President and NASW National Vice President, championing equity, ethics, and member engagement to strengthen the profession and advance public safety.
- Police and Diversity
- Future of Public Safety (Special Topics)
- Women and Policing
- Introduction to Police Science
- Police Use of Force
- International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) – Member (2026)
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) – Member (December 2025)
- American Society of Criminology (ASC) – Member (October 2025)
- Latino Social Work Organization (LSWO) – Member (2025)
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW) – Member (June 2025)
- President, NASW Florida Chapter (2022–2024)
- Member, New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) – Ongoing
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice Alumni Association – Member
- Fordham University Alumni Association – Member
Gandarilla-Javier, S., Rhodes, D.J., & Greenfield, K. (2025).
Latinas’ perception of law enforcement who respond to intimate partner violence calls: a qualitative inquiry. Health & Justice, 13(1), 61.
Gandarilla-Javier, S., Rhodes, D.J. (2025).
Navigating IPV and social support services: Latina survivors of IPV testimonials. Journal of Health and Social Work.
Rhodes, D. J., Smith, J. M., Geyton, T. A., & Gandarilla-Javier, S., Antwi, K. (2025).
A secondary qualitative analysis of U.S. social workers' perspectives on a post-2020 policing era. Families in Society.
Rhodes, D. J., Smith, J. M., Geyton, T. A., & Gandarilla-Javier, S. (2025).
Considerations for social work clinicians interested in policing: A qualitative report. Social Work.https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swaf032
Rhodes, D. J., Ost, J. H.*, & Gandarilla-Javier, S. (2024).
A qualitative exploration of social workers’ job preparedness in law enforcement agencies. Social Work Research, 48(2), 103–115. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svae005
Sharon Gandarilla-Javier is a scholar of policing and social work whose research explores the intersection of public safety, equity, and community trust. Her work focuses on intimate partner violence (IPV) among Latina women, with particular attention to their interactions with police and the structural barriers that shape reporting and help-seeking behaviors. She was recently awarded a PSC-CUNY grant to investigate the experiences of IPV survivors and their perceptions of police, to inform trauma-informed and culturally responsive policing practices.
Her recently published article, Latinas’ perception of law enforcement who respond to intimate partner violence calls: a qualitative inquiry (October 2025), and her article Navigating Social Supports: Latina Survivors of IPV Testimonials, accepted in September 2025 by the Oxford Social Work Journal, deepen understanding of survivors’ engagement with formal systems, community networks, and the barriers that shape safety and justice outcomes. Dr. Gandarilla-Javier is also interested in victimology and the characteristics that increase vulnerability to victimization, with a growing focus on applying artificial intelligence (AI) to examine patterns of financial fraud and to inform prevention and early-intervention strategies. Through her research and mentorship, she aims to advance evidence-based practices that build trust between law enforcement and marginalized communities.