TAMPA, Fla. — The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence defines domestic violence as willful intimidation, assault, battery, sexual abuse or another abusive behavior that's part of a pattern where a person exerts power and control over a relative or intimate partner.
According to the NCADV, that includes everything from emotional abuse to threats or physical and sexual violence.
"37.9% of Florida women and 29.3% of Florida men experience intimate partner dating violence, intimate partner sexual violence and/or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes," the NCADV writes online.
In 2019 alone, 105,298 reports of domestic violence were filed with police statewide. And, the NCADV says many more cases weren't reported.
Nationwide, experts say 1 in 3 women and 1 in every 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner. The NCADV says nearly 20 people are physically abused by a partner every minute in the U.S.
If you or somebody you know is experiencing domestic violence, there is help.
In addition to 911, there are several resources available:
In Florida, the Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-500-1119 or via the relay at 711.
Click here for an interactive map of domestic violence centers, along with a county-by-county contact list in Florida.
Pinellas County-based domestic violence center CASA runs a 24-hour hotline and emergency shelter, among other resources. While CASA urges people to contact police if cases of immediate danger, its hotline can be reached any time by dialing 727-895-4912. There's also an option to chat with an advocate during certain hours by clicking here.
Nationwide, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233. It also has a live chat function, which you can find on its website here.
