Domestic Violence- Legal Defintion

The Legal Definition of Domestic Violence

"Domestic Violence" means any assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment or any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death of one family or household member by another who is or was residing in the same single dwelling unit. (s 741.28, F.S., 1999) "Family or household member" means spouses, former spouses, persons related by blood or marriage, persons who are presently residing together as if a family, or who have resided together in the past as if a family, and persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they have been married or have resided together at any time. (s 741.28, F.S., 1999)

Facts About Domestic Violence

Husbands and boyfriends commit 13,000 acts of violence against women in the workplace every year
(United States Dept. of Justice, 1994)

62% of sons over age 14 were injured when they attempted to protect their mothers from attacks by abusive male partners.
(Maria Roy, Children in the Crossfire)

Over 1.7 million women were physically abused in 1995 by their male partners, one every 12 seconds.
(Federal Bureau of Investigation)

More than 100,000 incidents are reported in Florida each year -- one victim every four minutes.
(St. Johns County Sheriff's Office)

Nearly four in 10 offenders sentenced to jail for violence against a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend had a restraining order against them when they committed the crime.
(Associated Press, Jacksonville Times Union, June 13, 1999)

37% of women physically battered by their husbands were also raped by them.
(Diane Russell, Rape in Marriage)

15% to 25% of pregnant women are battered.
(Even Stark & Anne Flitcraft, l992)

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women.
(St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, 1999)

39% of the murder of females result from domestic violence.
(St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, 1999)