Services are for youth charged with Domestic Violence on a household member. Must be referred by their local Juvenile Assessment Center.

The Florida Network works in conjunction with the Department of Juvenile Justice to provide youth arrested for Domestic Violence (DV) a safe alternative to secure detention. Services are short-term residential placements for youth ages 10-17 who do not meet criteria to be detained and do not have an alternative relative placement. Youth are referred by their local Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) or on call screener following an arrest for DV on a household member. Eligible youth are provided respite at one of the Florida Network’s 28 CINS/FINS shelters around the state. Services include face to face assessments, service orientation, case management, counseling, transportation and referrals for additional services or specialized counseling. Upon intake counselors begin working with the youth and his/her family to resolve the conflict that resulted in the youth’s arrest with the goal of family reunification. Domestic Violence Respite functions as a safe alternative to secure detention; focusing on preventing youth from falling further into the juvenile justice system and strives to keep families together.

The Domestic Violence respite program has expanded to serve youth in a nonresidential setting through a program called Family Youth Respite After Care services (FYRAC). This allows youth and families to continue to work on reunification following their stay in the shelter. It also provides families another option for services if a bed is not available or if a child is too young for shelter. FYRAC is provided by all Florida Network agencies.

The Probation Respite program provides up to 30 days of respite to youth who are at-risk of violating their probation. Through this intervention, youth are encouraged to make positive choices and improve their family relationships through the support of therapeutic staff.

What is Adolescent Domestic Battery?

Adolescent Domestic Battery (ADB) is defined as a youth committing an act of violence against a parent, sibling or other family member living in the home.

ABTT

Not all Adolescent Domestic Battery is the same and should not be treated the same. The Adolescent Domestic Battery Typology Tool can help categorize youth into one of the four types and help provide specific interventions.

Types of Adolescent Domestic Battery:

  • Defensive: any violence (not just the current incident) directed toward the parent in response to a physical threat by the parent.
  • Isolated Incident: violence was an isolated event of aggression born out of atypical family or individual stress. Without such stress youth may have chosen a more appropriate conflict resolution.
  • Family Chaos: a pattern of events in which the youth’s behavior predictably spirals to the point of aggression in order to obtain his or her purposes and is characterized by inconsistent and unclear parental authority.
  • Escalating: a pattern of behavior designed to intimidate, control and coerce the parent into giving into the youth’s demands and ultimately to shift parental authority to the youth, effectively establishing the youth in a position of control over the parent.

*Adolescent Domestic Battery Typology Tool Manual- Link: http://www.modelsforchange.net/publications/845

Additional Resources

FCADV

If you or someone you know is experiencing violence from an intimate partner or family member, please call the Florida Domestic Violence Hotline at: 1-800-500-1119 • 1-800-621-4202 (TDD) Florida Relay 711

Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ)

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, through the Office of Prevention and Victim Services, offers many voluntary prevention, intervention, and treatment service programs for youth throughout the state of Florida. To learn more about the services offered in your area please call our Prevention Help Line number at 1-866-757-0634. Please note: the helpline is not a counseling service number, it is for informational calls only. All calls go to a voicemail system that is monitored Monday through Friday.

 

For a printable Domestic Violence Respite Informational pamphlet please click on the links below:

Florida Network Domestic Violence Pamphlet- English

Florida Network Domestic Violence Pamphlet- Spanish

Florida Network Domestic Violence Pamphlet- Creole