In an average group of 25 Florida high school girls, at least two have likely been raped, five have experienced suicidal thoughts and three don’t feel safe in their own neighborhoods.
That’s according to statistics from the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, which released a report Wednesday condemning a lack of progress in what the center called “the revolving door of juvenile justice involvement for girls and young women” in the state.
Justice for Girls Blueprint: Report Card
The center said alarming numbers of girls in Florida are experiencing sexual victimization, interpersonal violence, unaddressed mental health issues, homelessness, and involvement in the juvenile justice system.
One in 10 reports they have been raped, one in eight do not feel safe in their neighborhoods and one in five has experienced suicidal thoughts.
The policy center’s push for juvenile justice reform for girls in Florida says it’s more than bad behavior that lands girls in juvenile detention.
“When we’re seeing girls in the juvenile justice system, many times it’s the trauma they’ve experienced prior to that that has been unaddressed, that nobody has seen, that nobody has recognized, that nobody has even asked about,” said Dr. Vicky Basra, Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center CEO.
The center’s newly released report compares girl-specific data trends from 2019 to those from 2008. The center found a 66% drop in arrests of girls and a 67% drop in incarcerations but said the majority (66%) of girl-specific data trends in Florida showed insufficient or no progress from 2008.
The center found Black girls make up only 21% of Florida girls ages 10 - 17 yet account for 45% of arrests, 45% of incarcerations and 52% of transfers to adult court, showing that the overrepresentation of girls of color remains consistent.
Girls also receive harsher treatment for less serious offenses than boys, according to the center’s data. Two-thirds (66%) of girls are arrested for non-felonies (38% for boys). Two-fifths (40%) of girls are locked up for non-felonies (18% for boys).
“Something I see a lot is when a girl says, ‘Someone is bothering me’ or ‘someone is assaulting me,’ and it gets brushed off or no one listens. And then she takes action, so often the end result is that she gets punished for the actions she is taking,” said research and grants analyst Vinessa Gordon.
RELATED Full list of recommendations from Justice for Girls Blueprint report
The center’s report, The Justice for Girls Blueprint: The Way Forward for Florida, offers ideas for solutions to the ongoing issues, including addressing underlying trauma in the girls’ lives.
Some of the key solutions offered in the Blueprint include:
- Increase the minimum age limit for arrest. Florida’s current law protects children up to age 7. Amend Section 985.031, Florida Statutes, the Kaia Rolle Act to set age limitations to 12 and younger for delinquency arrest unless forcible felony as defined in s. 776.08.
- Mandate that all counties implement a civil citation or alternative to arrest program by amending Florida statute 985.12. In 2020-2021 nearly 4,000 girls had contact with law enforcement. Although all were eligible for a civil citation, two in five (41 percent) were arrested. Arrests of civil citation eligible girls varied by whether girls were in school or in the community. One in three girls in lock-up (31%) report physical abuse in their home on the DJJ Positive Achievement Change Tool (PACT) assessment. Because police officers are trained to remove someone from the home when they see the situation from a domestic violence lens, detention is often over-used as a de-escalation response or respite for girls who are eligible for diversion programs, including civil citations. In 2020–2021, over 1,000 girls who were eligible for a civil citation came in contact with law enforcement for a family disturbance, where law enforcement responded to a domestic-related incident (e.g., fighting with a family member). Rather than being diverted from the system, over 700 girls were arrested unnecessarily in Florida.
- Invest in a girl-centered, community-based continuum of care. The enactment of Juvenile Justice Statute 985.02 outlined the intent of the Florida Legislature to provide effective treatment to address physical, social, and emotional needs, regardless of geographical location. Further, this statute included provisions for trauma-informed, gender-specific programming and services. Despite this far-sighted mandate, the changes have not occurred. The Legislature should revisit this mandate along with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Children and Families to fully implement it.
“The Policy Center’s latest Blueprint report not only shines the light on actions to be taken by policymakers in every Florida community for ensuring the safety and future success of girls but also engages the girls themselves. This is best accomplished by continuing reforms that shift Florida’s juvenile justice system to a healing and restorative model, one that truly sees girls for their potential, not present circumstances,” Basra said. “When we invest in that, we can change families, schools, and communities for the better.”