Policy Center uncovers 'crisis' status of Florida girls

Florida Times-Union - 2/7/2020

Girls in Florida are "in crisis:" One in three contemplated suicide or experienced depression, one in 10 was raped and one in four did not feel they could ask a parent for help, according to a new report from Jacksonville's Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center.

In Duval County, one in five girls feel unsafe in their neighborhoods, two in five feel unsafe in school, one in seven said they had experienced forced sexual intercourse and one in four considered suicide, according to the Status of Girls Well-Being in Florida research report.

"Although reform for girls in Florida's child welfare and juvenile justice systems has advanced over the past 10 years, this new research has uncovered significant rates of violence and victimization among certain segments of girls, particularly girls of color and those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or unsure," according to the report. "Girls living in rural areas also experienced more bullying, less access to a safe parent or teacher and an increased frequency of below average or failing grades."

"It's an unchecked crisis," said Lawanda Ravoira, center president and CEO, because of a "disconnect between children's needs and programming and policies that are best aligned to meet those needs."

Ravoira, other center staff and Roy Miller, president of The Children's Campaign, a Tallahassee-based child advocacy organization, discussed the 2019 report at a Friday community briefing in Jacksonville. About 150 people attended.

"The briefing is just the beginning of bringing about the reform that is urgently needed," Ravoira said. "Most encouraging was the engagement of the community members who attended. We continue to see that our community not only shows up, but they are committed to engaging in dialogue about what must be addressed to improve the well-being of girls in our community and state."

Senior Vice President Vicky Basra, noting the center's motto of "See the Girl," said, "Behind the data are girls who are suffering. This convening provided the opportunity to engage citizens to 'see the girl.'"

The Status of Girls Well-Being report is the second of three commissioned by the Florida Women's Funding Alliance and build on the first publication, which assessed educational status and disparities. The third report, projected to be complete in June, will focus on recommendations.

The research was the first nationwide to identify Florida's 'most vulnerable girls" using a broad spectrum of child well-being data through "multiple lenses:" gender, geography, race/ethnicity and sexual orientation differences.

It analyzed state and national data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Center for Disease Control's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System; the state departments of Education, Children and Families and Juvenile Justice; and a survey data of 27,000 middle- and high-school girls collected by the Florida Department of Health.

The findings, according to the center, "are relevant to resolving chronic failures by child-serving systems and organizations and to address teen substance abuse, sexual and commercial trafficking exploitation, suicide and other poor health and justice outcomes."

• In 2018, 2,592 calls were made to the Florida human trafficking hotline, with 163 individuals referred for services locally, according to the center.

• Statewide last year there were at least 9,000 girls arrested, 2,000 girls in secure detention and 340 girls in lock-up residential programs. In 2018-19, 290 Duval girls were arrested, 464 on the First Coast.

"Every day we see girls with serious unaddressed mental health issues related to violence and victimization who end up locked away in detention centers where their needs are being exacerbated," said Vanessa Patino Lydia, the center's vice president of research and planning. "If we truly want to 'see the girl,' we have to take a deep look at the data. Today was an opportunity to celebrate our successes and acknowledge the work to be done."

The data presents opportunities to improve girls' "experience" at home, in school and in the community by addressing such social ills as violence, poverty and lack of safe, affordable housing.

"It was made clear today that to break the cycle of poverty and victimization of at-risk girls, housing policies, resources and availability and affordability must be a significant part of the solution," Miller said.

Beth Reese Cravey: (904) 359-4109

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