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Definition of Domestic Violence in the
State of Florida
The State of Florida, in Florida Statute
Section 741.28, defines domestic violence as 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
family or household member.
The relationship between those involved in
the violence must be that of ((NCVC,nd):
- 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;
- Persons who are parents of a child in common, regardless
of whether they have been married;
- With the exception of persons who have a child in common,
the family or household members must be currently residing,
or have in the past resided, together in the same single
dwelling unit.
Florida Statutes can be accessed through the official website
of the Florida Legislature: Online Sunshine at http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Welcome/index.cfm?CFID=92809846&CFTOKEN=53386739.
| Case Study 2. Rita |
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Rita is a 29 year old woman, who works as an administrative
assistant at her county's office building. She has an
8 year old son Toby, the product of a 10 year relationship
with her ex-boyfriend, Cliff. Cliff has problems with
cocaine and this is why Rita and Cliff are no longer
together; she had finally had enough of his abuse.
When they lived together Cliff would be little Rita
for the slightest "infraction"; he did this in the presence
of her family, the few friends they had left and out
in public. Cliff would criticize whatever she did; he
would call her "stupid" and "fat". Rita had learned
to keep her head down and not do anything to further
irritate Cliff. But when they were alone, that was the
worst time. Cliff wouldn't just embarrass her; he degraded
her, calling her filthy, terrible names in front of
their son, Toby. Cliff would beat Rita so badly that
she could not go to work, out of shame and pain. Toby
would often try to intervene when his father would beat
his mother, but Cliff would always scream at him to
stay out of it. Rita had felt like she was barely alive.
She just wanted Cliff to go away, but she had always
been too scared of him to take any action. She had hoped
he would find another girlfriend and leave. But she
couldn't wait; three days ago she took Toby and went
to live with her sister.
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