Florida

State Overview

State Summary

The state does have domestic violence legislation that includes same-sex relationships if partners are residing in the same household. The definition of domestic violence only includes persons who are currently living together or who lived together in the past unless they share a child. Florida has no plans to switch to an incident-based reporting system; law enforcement agencies currently submit summary data to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. No specialized system exists for reporting domestic or sexual violence incidents outside of the summary system. Crime counts are published in an annual report.

The Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence collects summary statistics from all 41 certified domestic violence centers, which enter the information directly into a standardized local database. The Coalition does not publish the information. The Florida Council Against Sexual Violence does not collect any information from service providers. The Florida Department of Health's Sexual Violence Prevention Program collects data through the confidential, internet-based Sexual Violence Data Registry. Rape crisis centers, domestic violence centers, and other entities voluntarily enter information on victims and sexual violence services provided to victims, regardless of whether the incident was reported to law enforcement. The data are not available to the public, but are used to make programmatic decisions and produce reports.

State Projects

• Cut Out Domestic Violence

The Office of the Attorney General is sponsoring this initiative to provide hair-care professionals with training seminars throughout Florida. Topics will include the prevalence of domestic violence in Florida, signs of domestic violence, and how to discuss domestic violence with clients. Participants will receive referral information on domestic violence programs in Florida and a certificate of attendance. Salon professionals will not be encouraged or required to report suspected cases of abuse, but will be a vital resource to victims by being prepared to provide helpful information about available resources in their communities.


• Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA)

Since 2002, the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV) has worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and implement the Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) program. In 2003, FCADV organized a DELTA Oversight Committee composed of a diverse group of state-level professionals whose responsibilities include offering guidance and support to the State Coordinator and assisting with monitoring local projects. In 2006 the Oversight Committee expanded as its responsibilities evolved to include being responsible for creating a statewide prevention plan. The Committee is now referred to as DELTA State Steering Committee.


• Disabilities Program

The Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV) provides many resources to certified domestic violence centers for enhancing service provision to survivors living with mental health complexities. These resources include onsite and electronic training and technical assistance as well as educational materials.


• Economic Justice Iniative

The mission of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence's (FCADV) Economic Justice Initiative is to provide training, information and resources to address the economic conditions that create barriers to the long-term independence and safety of survivors and their children. Ultimately, Economic Justice means fairness and equality for survivors to have the ability to make decisions about their lives and intimate relationships without fear of negative financial impact.


• Welfare Transition Program

Provided by the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence's (FCADV), the Welfare Transition Program is Florida's plan for providing eligible families with services that will assist them in becoming self-sufficient. Services include:
• Job Search, Job Preparation, and Job Placement
• Education and Training
• Case Management and Counseling
• Subsidized Child Care
• Transportation Assistance
• Relocation Assistance


• Healthy Advocate Initiative

The Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence's (FCADV) is sponsoring this initative, encouragine advocates from Florida's 42 domestic violence centers to participate in the 4-week Challenge to Change. Advocates all over the state have been increasing their physical activity, eating healthier and smoking less.


• Rural Initiative

The mission of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence's (FCADV) Rural Initiative is to provide for the safety of the most isolated and endangered victims of domestic and sexual violence in rural areas within the state of Florida. The Initiative is based on the community organizing model whereby the community and judicial organizing is essential to the long-term success of direct services provided to rural victims.


• Statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has received an award from the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program, administered by the Department of Justice, to partner with the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV) to create a statewide domestic violence fatality review team. The two year grant will enable the statewide team to meet four times to:
• Identify gaps in service delivery to domestic violence victims and identify potential systemic breakdowns
• Promote training and cross-training to professionals
• Coordinate the activities of agencies involved and share and exchange information


• Teen Violence Among Runaway and Homeless Youth

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has introduced a new program created to assist Florida's domestic violence advocates, sexual violence and rape crisis advocates, and runaway and homeless youth service providers with the issue of teen dating violence. Teen Dating Violence Among Runaway and Homeless Youth includes a user-friendly curriculum complete with practical information regarding the complexities and dynamics of dating violence. One goal of the project is to increase domestic and sexual violence advocates' and runaway youth workers' knowledge of and competency in direct service provision to runaway adolescents who experience dating violence. Both intervention and prevention strategies are explored and a wealth of resources is provided including protocols for working with youth experiencing teen dating violence.


• President's Family Justice Center Initiative
The PFJCI is a pilot program administered by the Office on Violence Against Women that has awarded more than $20 million to 15 communities across the country for the planning, development, and establishment of comprehensive domestic violence victim service and support centers. The goal of the PFJCI is to make a victim's search for help and justice more efficient and effective by bringing professionals who provide an array of services together under one roof. One of the first centers, the Family Justice Center of Hillsborough County brings together over 60 partners to provide services to domestic violence victims.

Available Reports

General Crime

• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Arrest totals by age and sex.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Crime in Florida.
• Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Programs. (2006).  Annual report 2004 - 2005. Florida Office of Attorney General.
• Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Programs. (2006).  Annual report 2003 - 2004. Florida Office of Attorney General.

Domestic Violence

• Department of Children and Families. (Annual). Violence free Florida! Ending abuse - improving lives: Domestic violence annual report.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Florida Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team annual report.
• Florida Office of Attorney General. (Annual). Year in review.
• Watson, A. (2007).  Pregnancy-related deaths during the postpartum period, 1999-2004.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence. (2008). Domestic violence counts 07: Executive summary for Florida.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence. (2007). Domestic violence counts: Executive summary for Florida.
• CMC & Associates. (2006).  Domestic Violence Program Office customer service satisfaction survey results.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (1998).  Final report: Statewide tracking of domestic violence cases.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (1996).  Domestic violence in Florida. SAC Notes.
• Pate, A., Hamilton, E., and Annan, S. (1992). Metro-Dade Spouse Abuse Replication Project, Final Report. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.

Sexual Assault

• Ruggiero, K. J. and Kilpatrick, D. G. (2003).  One in nine: Rape in Florida. National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center.
• Spohn, C. C., Beichner, D., Franzel, E. D., and Holleran, D. (2002).  Prosecutors’ charging decisions in sexual assault cases: A multi-site study. NCJ 197048. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, US Department of Justice.

Violence Against Women

• Jasinski, J. L., Wesely, J. K., Mustaine, E., and Wright, J. D. (2005).  The experience of violence in the lives of homeless women. NCJ 211976. Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.

Sample Data Collection Forms

Certified domestic violence centers enter summary information into this local database, which is sent to the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

• Domestic Violence Services

The Florida Office of Attorney General collects information from victims filing for compensation using this form:

•  Quarterly Statistics Form

Available Data

General Crime

• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Arrest Data.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Offense Data.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Officer Data.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Total Index Crime.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Total Property Crime.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Total Violent Crime.

Domestic Violence

• Department of Children and Families. (Annual). Domestic Violence Data Reports.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Domestic Violence Data.
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Total Domestic Violence for Florida.
• Piquero, A. R., Brame, R., Fagan, J., and Moffitt, T. E. (2007). Offender characteristics, offense mix, and escalation in domestic violence in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Miami-Dade, Florida, Omaha, Nebraska, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1987-1989. NACJD Study 4454.
• Pate, A., Hamilton, E. E., and Annan, S. (1991). Spouse Abuse Replication Project in Metro-Dade County, Florida, 1987-1989. NACJD Study No. 6008.

Sexual Assault

• Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Annual). Total Sex Offenses for Florida.

Links to State Agencies and Resources

• Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Statistical Analysis Center
• Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• Florida Council Against Sexual Violence
• Florida Department of Health Sexual Violence Prevention Program
• Florida Office of Attorney General Crime Victims' Services
• Florida Department of Children and Families Office of Domestic Violence Program
• Florida Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (PAMR)
• Family Justice Center of Hillsborough County