FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE
Delinquency in Florida’s Schools:
A Seven-Year Study
(FY 2004-05 through FY 2010-11)

Rick Scott, Governor

OFFICE OF PROGRAM ACCOUNTABILITY
Bureau of Research and Planning

Wansley Walters, Secretary

i

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS:
A SEVEN-YEAR STUDY
(2004-05 THROUGH 2010-11)

Florida Department of Juvenile Justice
Bureau of Research and Planning
November 2011

Electronic copies of this report are available at the Department’s Research Web site:
http://www.djj.state.fl.us/Research/index.html

Mark A. Greenwald, M.J.P.M
Chief of Research and Planning
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice
2737 Centerview Drive
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3100
www.djj.state.fl.us
ii

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

iii

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

A MESSAGE FROM SECRETARY WANSLEY WALTERS

On behalf of the employees of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and all whom we serve, I
am pleased to present Delinquency in Florida’s Schools: A Seven-Year Study for the Florida Department
of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).
This report was produced by DJJ’s Bureau of Research and Planning as part of our ongoing efforts to
reduce juvenile delinquency and turn around the lives of troubled youth. It contains analyses of
delinquency in Florida’s public schools between Fiscal Year (FY) 2004-05 and FY 2010-11.
The report also reflects my commitment to improve our accountability and help DJJ become a more datadriven organization, with measurable performance and outcomes. The people of Florida should expect
nothing less from the state agencies that serve them.
State law requires school districts in Florida to examine their discipline policies for minor offenders.
There have been substantial reductions in school offenses over the last six years. Specifically,
delinquency on school grounds has declined 42 percent over the past seven years and 39 percent fewer
youth were arrested in schools.
While these improvements are the result of strong commitment and collaboration among many agencies
and stakeholders, there is much work to be done as thousands of youth continue to be arrested in schools
around the state. For a substantial proportion of the youth arrested in schools last year, the arrest was the
youth’s first delinquent charge.
We in Florida have a golden opportunity to implement needed reforms that keep youth from entering the
juvenile justice system in the first place. Community and school-based diversionary efforts – chief among
which is statewide civil citation – will give children the help and guidance they need. Working together,
we will reduce the number of young people entering the juvenile justice system.

iv

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

v

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 1
HOW THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE TRACKS AND REPORTS
DELINQUENCY IN SCHOOLS ............................................................................................... 2
WHO ARRESTS YOUTH FOR DELINQUENCY IN SCHOOLS? .................................................. 2
WHAT AFFECTS SCHOOL REFERRAL AND ARREST RATES? .................................................. 2
SCHOOL-RELATED DELINQUENCY REFERRALS .................................................................... 3
SCHOOL REFERRALS BY COUNTY ........................................................................................ 4
SCHOOL REFERRAL RATES BY COUNTY ............................................................................... 5
SCHOOL REFERRAL RATES RELATIVE TO STUDENT POPULATION ....................................... 6
SCHOOL REFERRAL DEMOGRAPHICS.................................................................................. 7
TYPES OF DELINQUENCY IN SCHOOLS ................................................................................ 8
CASE OUTCOMES (DISPOSITIONS) FOR SCHOOL OFFENSES ............................................. 10
DEMOGRAPHICS AND CASE OUTCOMES FOR SCHOOL OFFENSES.................................... 11
DIFFERENTIAL OFFENSE PATTERNS BASED ON DEMOGRAPHICS...................................... 12
SCHOOL OFFENSES AS GATEWAYS TO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM ............................ 13
STUDENT STATUS AND SCHOOL REFERRALS .................................................................... 14
DEFINITION OF TERMS AND DATA SOURCES.................................................................... 15

vi

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report summarizes delinquency referrals received by the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) for
offenses occurring on school grounds, a school bus (or bus stop), or at an official school event between
FY2004-05 and FY2010-11.
•

Delinquency referrals for school-related offenses declined 42% over the past seven years and 39%
fewer youth were arrested in Florida’s schools during the most current fiscal year.

•

School-related delinquency referrals during FY2010-11 accounted for 15% of all the cases handled by
DJJ, which is down from 19% during FY 2004-05.

•

A statewide average of 12 school-related delinquency referrals were received by DJJ for every 1,000
public school students (grades 6-12).

•

While only representing 21% of the youth ages 10-17 in Florida, black males and females accounted
for almost half (46%) of all school‐related referrals.

•

The differences are substantial between white youth and their nonwhite counterparts in case
outcomes for school-related offenses. For example, black males were substantially more likely to
receive commitment dispositions or to have their cases transferred to adult court. In addition, black
youth were more likely to have their cases ultimately dismissed than their white counterparts.

•

Misdemeanor “disorderly conduct” and “assault and battery” accounted for 37% of all school‐related
delinquency referrals.

•

Drug and weapon offenses accounted for 24% of all school‐related referrals.

•

Misdemeanors accounted for 67% of school‐related referrals.

•

First time delinquents accounted for 58% of the youth receiving school-related referrals during
FY2010-11.

•

School-related delinquency referrals that were ultimately dismissed/not filed or received some type
of diversion service totaled 69% during FY2010-11.

•

Of youth that were referred from schools, 83% had at least one previous out-of-school suspension.

•

Of youth referred from schools, 34% were identified as Exceptional Student Education (ESE)
students.

Page 1

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

HOW THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE TRACKS AND REPORTS
DELINQUENCY IN SCHOOLS
The Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) monitors the number of youth referred as well as the number
of referrals received for delinquent offenses that were identified as occurring on school grounds, a
school bus (or bus stop), or at an official school event. Generally, this information is provided to the
Department by law enforcement as part of the delinquency intake process and is recorded in the
Department’s Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS). This information is then extracted from JJIS and
reported to the public annually through the Department’s “Delinquency in Florida’s Schools” analysis. A
delinquency referral differs from the term “referral” that is commonly used within schools to describe a
disciplinary action taken. For the purposes of this report, “referral” means a delinquency case sent to
DJJ for handling.

WHO ARRESTS YOUTH FOR DELINQUENCY IN SCHOOLS?
With few exceptions, local law enforcement (police officers and sheriff’s deputies) are responsible for
arresting youth for alleged acts of delinquency in school. In many communities, local police officers or
sheriff deputies serve as school resource officers and are based at the schools. These school resource
officers may be a part of an existing law enforcement agency or, in some communities, may make up
their own distinctive law enforcement entity.

WHAT AFFECTS SCHOOL REFERRAL AND ARREST RATES?
Numerous factors can influence whether or not a youth is arrested and referred to the Department for
delinquency in schools. Each school district in Florida maintains its own distinctive progressive response
or “discipline” plan that outlines how everything from misbehavior to actual crimes should be handled.
In addition, law enforcement agencies in each school district have their own policies regarding how to
respond and deal with delinquency in schools. Availability and use of alternatives to arrest can have a
substantial impact on the number of youth referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice. For example,
two of the state’s largest school districts (Miami-Dade and Palm Beach) aggressively use alternatives to
arrest, and these districts also have school referral rates that are much lower than the general statewide
average.

Page 2

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

SCHOOL-RELATED DELINQUENCY REFERRALS
Delinquency referrals in Florida’s schools decreased 42% between FY2004-05 and FY2010-11. In
addition, over the past seven years, 39% fewer youth received a delinquency referral for an offense that
occurred on school grounds. The reductions in school-related referrals far outpaced the reductions in
general delinquency referrals for an offense occurring somewhere other than school grounds. During
FY2010-11, school-related delinquency referrals accounted for 15% of all the cases handled by the
Department of Juvenile Justice, which was down from 19% during FY2004-05.

Delinquency and School-Related Referral and Youth Trends
(Statewide)1
Fiscal Year

Delinquency
Referrals
Received2

Delinquent Youth
Received

School-Related
Referrals
Received

School-Related
Youth Received

2004-05

150,687

95,263

28,008

24,189

2005-06

150,104

94,244

25,708

23,070

2006-07

146,765

91,497

22,926

20,736

2007-08

144,705

89,776

21,289

19,362

2008-09

138,372

85,527

20,223

18,256

2009-10

121,689

75,382

18,467

16,784

2010-11

109,813

66,934

16,377

14,758

7-Year Change

-27%

-30%

-42%

-39%

1

Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS)

2

As reported in previous school referral studies, but do not match current Delinquency Profile.

Page 3

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

SCHOOL REFERRALS BY COUNTY
During FY2010‐11, school‐related referrals accounted for an average of 15% of all delinquency referrals
handled by the Department of Juvenile Justice. Miami-Dade County, which is Florida’s largest school
district, recorded the highest actual number of school‐related referrals (1,274).

Delinquency Referrals by Type and County
(Fiscal Year 2010-11)1
County
ALACHUA

SchoolRelated

2

Not
School-

Total4

% SchoolRelated

Related3

County

SchoolRelated

2

Not SchoolRelated

3

Total4

% SchoolRelated

321

1,207

1,528

21%

LAKE

317

1,354

1,671

19%

52

141

193

27%

LEE

338

2,487

2,825

12%

178

909

1,087

16%

LEON

306

1,100

1,406

22%

17

168

185

9%

LEVY

45

176

221

20%

395

2,457

2,852

14%

LIBERTY

2

25

27

7%

BROWARD

1,190

9,321

10,511

11%

MADISON

32

79

111

29%

CALHOUN

15

34

49

31%

MANATEE

458

2,069

2,527

18%

106

604

710

15%

MARION

298

1,174

1,472

20%

91

393

484

19%

MARTIN

156

588

744

21%

CLAY

155

936

1,091

14%

MONROE

55

297

352

16%

COLLIER

269

983

1,252

21%

NASSAU

27

221

248

11%

59

301

360

16%

OKALOOSA

119

1,015

1,134

10%

1,274

8,892

10,166

13%

OKEECHOBEE

93

199

292

32%

19

215

234

8%

ORANGE

1,192

8,786

9,978

12%

BAKER
BAY
BRADFORD
BREVARD

CHARLOTTE
CITRUS

COLUMBIA
DADE
DESOTO
DIXIE

4

45

49

8%

OSCEOLA

408

1,961

2,369

17%

DUVAL

459

4,091

4,550

10%

PALM BEACH

738

4,744

5,482

13%

ESCAMBIA

414

1,834

2,248

18%

PASCO

367

1,973

2,340

16%

FLAGLER

107

443

550

19%

PINELLAS

952

4,672

5,624

17%

FRANKLIN

2

59

61

3%

POLK

903

5,391

6,294

14%

GADSDEN

39

170

209

19%

PUTNAM

187

457

644

29%

GILCHRIST

18

54

72

25%

ST. JOHNS

206

673

879

23%

GLADES

6

34

40

15%

ST. LUCIE

437

1,262

1,699

26%

GULF

8

48

56

14%

SANTA ROSA

83

642

725

11%

HAMILTON

6

51

57

11%

SARASOTA

242

1,327

1,569

15%

HARDEE

23

218

241

10%

SEMINOLE

376

2,104

2,480

15%

HENDRY

70

213

283

25%

SUMTER

39

135

174

22%

HERNANDO

142

604

746

19%

SUWANNEE

66

177

243

27%

HIGHLANDS

148

711

859

17%

TAYLOR

11

75

86

13%

1,160

7,395

8,555

14%

UNION

17

46

63

27%

10

51

61

16%

VOLUSIA

794

3,172

3,966

20%

145

625

770

19%

WAKULLA

31

152

183

17%

JACKSON

59

118

177

33%

WALTON

49

151

200

25%

JEFFERSON

10

34

44

23%

WASHINGTON

11

130

141

8%

24%

5

HILLSBOROUGH
HOLMES
INDIAN RIVER

LAFAYETTE
1

7

22

29

OTHER
TOTAL

44

1,241

1,285

3%

16,377

93,436

109,813

15%

Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).

2

Number of delinquency referrals received by DJJ that were identified as "school-related."

3

Number of delinquency referrals received by DJJ that were not identified as "school-related."

4

Total number of delinquency referrals received by DJJ during fiscal year 2010-11.
Cases where the county of residence could not be determined.

5

Page 4

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

SCHOOL REFERRAL RATES BY COUNTY
During FY2010‐11, there was an average of 12 school‐related delinquency referrals to the Department of
Juvenile Justice for every 1,000 students. Putnam and Okeechobee counties experienced the highest
rates of school‐related referrals (35 and 26 for every 1,000 students, respectively).

School Referrals Rates by County
(Delinquency Referrals) FY 2010-11
County

Student
Population

School
1

Referrals

2

Rate 3

County

Student
Population

School
1

Referrals2

Rate 3

ALACHUA

14,286

321

22

LAKE

21,199

317

BAKER

2,459

52

21

LEE

41,843

338

8

BAY

13,049

178

14

LEON

16,646

306

18

BRADFORD

1,555

17

11

LEVY

2,963

45

15

BREVARD

15

38,127

395

10

LIBERTY

711

2

3

BROWARD

137,626

1,190

9

MADISON

1,405

32

23

CALHOUN

1,088

15

14

MANATEE

22,096

458

21

CHARLOTTE

9,622

106

11

MARION

22,252

298

13

CITRUS

8,671

91

10

MARTIN

9,875

156

16

CLAY

19,909

155

8

MONROE

4,340

55

13

COLLIER

22,181

269

12

NASSAU

6,084

27

4

COLUMBIA

4,773

59

12

OKALOOSA

15,371

119

8

184,157

1,274

7

OKEECHOBEE

3,512

93

26

2,445

19

8

ORANGE

92,711

1,192

13
14

DADE
DESOTO
DIXIE

945

4

4

OSCEOLA

28,758

408

DUVAL

61,513

459

7

PALM BEACH

93,248

738

8

ESCAMBIA

20,345

414

20

PASCO

35,360

367

10

FLAGLER

7,014

107

15

PINELLAS

56,252

952

17

FRANKLIN

614

2

3

POLK

47,944

903

19

GADSDEN

2,705

39

14

PUTNAM

5,364

187

35

GILCHRIST

1,284

18

14

ST. JOHNS

16,834

206

12

602

6

10

ST. LUCIE

20,793

437

21

1,090

8

7

SANTA ROSA

13,861

83

6

GLADES
GULF
HAMILTON

834

6

7

SARASOTA

22,202

242

11

HARDEE

2,396

23

10

SEMINOLE

35,827

376

10

HENDRY

3,440

70

20

SUMTER

3,828

39

10

HERNANDO

12,360

142

11

SUWANNEE

3,094

66

21

HIGHLANDS

6,372

148

23

TAYLOR

1,426

11

8

HILLSBOROUGH

100,233

1,160

12

UNION

1,189

17

14

HOLMES

1,711

10

6

VOLUSIA

33,391

794

24

INDIAN RIVER

9,468

145

15

WAKULLA

2,419

31

13

JACKSON

3,515

59

17

WALTON

3,657

49

13

JEFFERSON

482

10

21

WASHINGTON

1,816

11

6

LAFAYETTE

552

7

13

OTHER

N/A

44

N/A

TOTAL

1,385,694

16,377

12

1

Source: Florida Department of Education, 2010-11 Survey 2 Data. Population of public schools (excludes labs) grades 6-12 during the 2010-11
school year.
2

Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).

3

Number of school related referrals per 1,000 students ((School Referrals/Student Population)*1,000).

Page 5

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

SCHOOL REFERRAL RATES RELATIVE TO STUDENT POPULATION
For the purpose of this analysis, a school district is considered to have a low to average referral rate if its
rate is less than or equal to the statewide average (12 referrals for every 1,000 students). School
districts with a referral rate higher than 12 for every 1,000 students are considered to have a high
referral rate. A review of Florida’s school referral rates relative to student populations for FY2010‐11
revealed the following:

School Referral Rates
by School District Size
Low
Rates
51%
47%
77%

District Size
Small District
Medium District
Large District

High
Rates
49%
53%
23%

School Referral Rates Relative to Student Populations
Fiscal Year 2010-11
Small School Districts1

Medium School Districts2

Large School Districts3

Referral Rate

Referral Rate

Referral Rate

Low - Average

4

High

5

Low - Average

4

High

5

Low - Average 4

High5

LIBERTY

WALTON

SANTA ROSA

MARION

DADE

PINELLAS

FRANKLIN

CALHOUN

OKALOOSA

BAY

DUVAL

POLK

DIXIE

GILCHRIST

SARASOTA

OSCEOLA

TAYLOR

VOLUSIA

NASSAU

UNION

CLAY

LAKE

PALM BEACH

HOLMES

GADSDEN

HERNANDO

LEON

LEE

WASHINGTON

LEVY

COLLIER

ESCAMBIA

BROWARD

HAMILTON

FLAGLER

ST. JOHNS

MANATEE

BREVARD

GULF

INDIAN RIVER

ST. LUCIE

PASCO

DESOTO

MARTIN

ALACHUA

SEMINOLE

HARDEE

JACKSON

GLADES

HENDRY

HILLSBOROUGH
ORANGE

SUMTER

JEFFERSON

1

CITRUS

BAKER

2

Districts w ith 10,001 - 29,999 middle & high school students

SUWANNEE

3

Districts w ith 30,000 or more middle & high school students

CHARLOTTE

MADISON

4

Districts w hose referral rate w as less than or equal to 12 for every 1,000 students

COLUMBIA

HIGHLANDS

5

Districts w hose referral rate w as 13 or more for every 1,000 students

MONROE

OKEECHOBEE

LAFAYETTE

PUTNAM

BRADFORD

WAKULLA

Districts w ith 10,000 or less middle & high school students

Sources: Student Population Data are derived from Florida Department of Education (DOE),
2010-11 Survey 2 Data; Population of public school students (excludes lab) in grades 6-12
during the 2010-11 school year. School-related delinquency referral data are derived from the
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).

Page 6

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

SCHOOL REFERRAL DEMOGRAPHICS
A comparison of demographics suggests that minority youth are more likely to receive a school-related
referral than their white counterparts. Of the 16,377 school-related referrals received by the
Department during FY2010‐11, 5,475 (30%) were for black males and 4,290 (27%) were for white males.
Black females accounted for 2,112 (13%) and white females accounted for 1,373 (8%) of all schoolrelated delinquency referrals. The table below presents demographics for referrals received for a
school-related offense as well as other “non-school” delinquent offenses.

Intake Demographics for Referrals Received
(Fiscal Year 2010-11)
School-Related
Referrals

% of Total
School-Related
Referrals

Other
Delinquency
Referrals

% of Other
Delinquency
Referrals

White Males

4,290

26%

25,455

27%

White Females

1,373

8%

11,231

12%

Black Males

5,475

33%

28,456

30%

Black Females

2,112

13%

9,961

11%

Hispanic Males

1,965

12%

11,119

12%

Hispanic Females

571

3%

3,441

4%

Other Males

472

3%

2,926

3%

Other Females

119

1%

847

1%

16,377

100%

93,436

100%

Demographic Group

Total

Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Juvenile Justice information System (JJIS).

School Referral
Demographics(Males)

School Referral
Demographics (Females)

4%

14%

16%

3%
33%

35%

50%

45%
White Males
Hispanic Males

Black Males
Other Males

Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Juvenile
Justice Information System (JJIS).

White Females

Black Females

Hispanic Females

Other Females

Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Juvenile
Justice Information System (JJIS).

Page 7

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

TYPES OF DELINQUENCY IN SCHOOLS
The majority of school‐related offenses were for misdemeanor assault/battery and disorderly conduct
(22% and 15%, respectively). Misdemeanor and felony weapon offenses accounted for 5% and drug or
alcohol-related offenses accounted for 19% of school‐related referrals. The most common felony was
aggravated assault/battery, representing 12% of all school referrals.

Most Common School-Related
Delinquency Referrals Fiscal Year 2010-11
3,588
2,450

2,415
1,944
800

Assault/Battery
(M)

Disorderly
Conduct
(M)

Violation of
Drug Laws
(M)

(M) = Misdemeanor

Aggravated
Assault/Battery
(F)

Weapon or
Firearm
Offenses (F)

(F) = Felony

During FY2010‐11, 49% of all delinquency referrals received by the Department were for misdemeanors,
29% were for felonies, and 22% were some other types of offenses (violation of ordinances, violation of
probation, etc). During the same time period, 67% of school‐related referrals were for misdemeanors
and 33% were for felonies.

School Offense Categories
Fiscal Year 2010-11

33%

67%

Felonies

Misdemeanors

Page 8

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

TYPES OF DELINQUENCY IN SCHOOLS (Continued)
During FY2010-11, misdemeanors (67%) were the most common type of offense referred to the
Department. However, there are notable differences between counties, with the percentage of
misdemeanor referrals ranging from 75% to 7%. The table below presents school referrals by offense
category and county.
School Referrals by Type and County
Fiscal Year 2010-11
County

Misd.
Offenses

1

Felony
Offenses

%
Misd

%
Felony

County

Misd.
Offenses

1

Felony
Offenses

%
Misd

%
Felony

ALACHUA

86

233

27%

73%

LAKE

103

214

32%

68%

BAKER

11

41

21%

79%

LEE

80

258

24%

76%

BAY

34

142

19%

81%

LEON

62

244

20%

80%

BRADFORD

6

11

35%

65%

LEVY

17

28

38%

62%

BREVARD

115

280

29%

71%

LIBERTY

1

1

50%

50%

BROWARD

378

811

32%

68%

MADISON

7

25

22%

78%

CALHOUN

2

13

13%

87%

MANATEE

103

349

23%

77%

CHARLOTTE

27

78

26%

74%

MARION

87

210

29%

71%

CITRUS

22

69

24%

76%

MARTIN

40

116

26%

74%

CLAY

57

97

37%

63%

MONROE

6

47

11%

89%

COLLIER

69

198

26%

74%

NASSAU

11

16

41%

59%

COLUMBIA

24

35

41%

59%

OKALOOSA

23

95

19%

81%

563

706

44%

56%

OKEECHOBEE

28

65

30%

70%

DESOTO

2

17

11%

89%

ORANGE

429

756

36%

64%

DIXIE

3

1

75%

25%

OSCEOLA

155

253

38%

62%

DUVAL

240

218

52%

48%

PALM BEACH

285

449

39%

61%

ESCAMBIA

148

265

36%

64%

PASCO

138

228

38%

62%

FLAGLER

24

83

22%

78%

PINELLAS

292

660

31%

69%

FRANKLIN

1

1

50%

50%

POLK

303

589

34%

66%

GADSDEN

17

22

44%

56%

PUTNAM

63

124

34%

66%

GILCHRIST

3

15

17%

83%

ST. JOHNS

39

167

19%

81%

GLADES

0

6

0%

100%

ST. LUCIE

94

341

22%

78%

GULF

1

7

13%

88%

SANTA ROSA

30

52

37%

63%

HAMILTON

1

5

17%

83%

SARASOTA

80

162

33%

67%

HARDEE

4

19

17%

83%

SEMINOLE

119

255

32%

68%

HENDRY

22

48

31%

69%

SUMTER

11

28

28%

72%

HERNANDO

35

105

25%

75%

SUWANNEE

16

50

24%

76%

HIGHLANDS

51

97

34%

66%

TAYLOR

4

7

36%

64%

DADE

HILLSBOROUGH

377

781

33%

67%

UNION

10

7

59%

41%

HOLMES

5

5

50%

50%

VOLUSIA

251

541

32%

68%

INDIAN RIVER

10

132

7%

93%

WAKULLA

4

27

13%

87%

JACKSON

16

42

28%

72%

WALTON

3

46

6%

94%

JEFFERSON

2

8

20%

80%

WASHINGTON

3

8

27%

73%

LAFAYETTE

4

3

57%

43%

OTHER2
TOTAL

24

20

55%

45%

5,281

11,032

32%

68%

1

Number of misdemeanor delinquency referrals received by DJJ that were identified as "school-related."

2

Cases where the county of residence could not be determined.

Page 9

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

CASE OUTCOMES (DISPOSITIONS) FOR SCHOOL OFFENSES
At the time of this report’s publication, not all school-related referrals had been disposed of by the
court. Primary court dispositions were available for 15,078 of the 16,377 school-related delinquency
referrals received by the Department during FY2010-11. Of the school-related delinquency referrals,
69% were dismissed/not filed or received some type of diversion service.

Primary Case Dispositions
Fiscal Year 2010-11
Number of
Cases

% of Total

Diversion Services

6,664

44%

Dismissed, Not Filed, Etc.

3,801

25%

Probation

2,392

16%

Other Outcome

1,658

11%

Residential Commitment

437

3%

Transfer to Adult Court

126

1%

15,078

100%

Disposition

Total

44%

School Referral Case Dispositions
Fiscal Year 2010-11

25%
16%

11%
3%

Diversion
Services

Dismissed,
Not Filed,
Etc.

Probation

Other
Outcome

Page 10

1%

Residential
Transfer to
Commitment Adult Court

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

DEMOGRAPHICS AND CASE OUTCOMES FOR SCHOOL OFFENSES
There are substantial differences in case outcomes for school offenses between white youth and their
nonwhite counterparts. Black youth were substantially more likely to have their cases dismissed than
their white counterparts. Black youth were involved in 50% of cases that were dismissed or not filed,
compared to 31% for white youth. In addition, black males were much more likely to receive a
commitment disposition or to have their cases transferred to adult court. Of the cases that resulted in a
transfer to adult court, 59% involved a black youth.
Case Disposition Demographics for School Referrals (Fiscal Year 2010-11)
Disposition Type

White
Male

White
Female

Black
Male

Black
Female

Diversion Services

Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic
White
White
Black
Black
Male
Female
Male
Female

Other
Male

Other
Female

Total

1,946

711

1,689

871

900

270

41

14

160

62

6,664

Dismissed, Not Filed, Etc.

927

281

1,418

502

384

133

24

8

106

18

3,801

Probation

617

165

883

339

224

61

13

6

70

14

2,392

Other Outcome

399

130

627

218

168

47

13

2

45

9

1,658

Residential Commitment

106

12

232

35

27

3

5

1

14

2

437

29

0

71

4

12

1

1

0

8

0

126

4,024

1,299

4,920

1,969

1,715

515

97

31

403

105

15,078

Transfer to Adult Court
Total Dispositions

Case Disposition Demographic Percentages for School Referrals (Fiscal Year 2010-11)
Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic
White
White
Black
Black
Male
Female
Male
Female

Disposition Type

White
Male

White
Female

Black
Male

Black
Female

Other
Male

Other
Female

Total

Diversion Services

29%

11%

25%

13%

14%

4%

1%

Dismissed, Not Filed, Etc.

24%

7%

37%

13%

10%

3%

1%

0%

2%

1%

100%

0%

3%

0%

Probation

26%

7%

37%

14%

9%

3%

100%

1%

0%

3%

1%

Other Outcome

24%

8%

38%

13%

10%

100%

3%

1%

0%

3%

1%

Residential Commitment

24%

3%

53%

8%

100%

6%

1%

1%

0%

3%

0%

Transfer to Adult Court

23%

0%

56%

100%

3%

10%

1%

1%

0%

6%

0%

% of Total Dispositions

27%

9%

33%

100%

13%

11%

3%

1%

0%

3%

1%

100%

Case Dispositions by Race/Ethnicity
Fiscal Year 2010-11
Disposition Type

White

Black

Hispanic

Other

Total

Diversion Services

40%

38%

18%

3%

100%

Dismissed, Not Filed, Etc.

32%

51%

14%

3%

100%

Probation

33%

51%

13%

4%

100%

Other Outcome

32%

51%

14%

3%

100%

Residential Commitment

27%

61%

8%

4%

100%

Transfer to Adult Court

23%

60%

11%

6%

100%

Total

35%

46%

16%

3%

100%

Page 11

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

DIFFERENTIAL OFFENSE PATTERNS BASED ON DEMOGRAPHICS
There are substantial differences in the types of school offenses for white youth and their nonwhite
counterparts. The Department determined that there was a much higher prevelence of black youth
being charged with disorderly conduct and assault and battery compared to whites. In addition, there
was a much higher frequency of drug and alcohol offenses among white youth compared to their nonwhite counterparts.

Black Male vs. White Male School Offense GAP Analysis
Fiscal Year 2010-11
600

Black male youth were more likely
to have school referrals related to:
400

White male youth were more likely to
have school referrals related to:

200

Drug Laws (M)

Drug Laws (F)

Alcohol Offenses (M)

Vandalism (M)

Other (M)

Other Robbery (F)

Trespassing (M)

Assault/Battery (M)

-400

Assault/Battery (F)

-200

Disorderly Conduct (M)

0

-600

(M) = Misdemeanor (F) = Felony

Disorderly conduct is a broad category used to describe a variety of minor offenses, but in the context of
school-related delinquency, it is most commonly associated with the disruption of a school function or
the disruption of school administration. Obstruction of justice is also a relatively broad category that is
usually associated with resisting arrest without violence.

Page 12

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

SCHOOL OFFENSES AS GATEWAYS TO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
A school offense was the gateway to the juvenile justice system for 8,541 youth (58% of all youth
referred for a school offense) during FY2010-11. The percentage of school-related referrals that are for
first-time offenders ranged from 0% to 100%.

School-Related Referrals for First-Time Offenders by County
Fiscal Year 2010-11
County
ALACHUA

School-Related
1

Youth

First Referral2 % First Referral

County

School-Related
Youth1

First Referral2 % First Referral

269

136

51%

LAKE

303

195

64%

46

31

67%

LEE

311

204

66%

165

97

59%

LEON

275

164

60%

17

10

59%

LEVY

41

29

71%

370

226

61%

LIBERTY

2

0

0%

BROWARD

1,083

597

55%

MADISON

29

22

76%

CALHOUN

14

10

71%

MANATEE

418

249

60%

CHARLOTTE

99

58

59%

MARION

270

135

50%

CITRUS

85

56

66%

MARTIN

132

76

58%

CLAY

137

87

64%

MONROE

52

33

63%

COLLIER

242

146

60%

NASSAU

26

15

58%

54

34

63%

OKALOOSA

106

57

54%

BAKER
BAY
BRADFORD
BREVARD

COLUMBIA
DADE

1,187

755

64%

OKEECHOBEE

84

46

55%

DESOTO

19

12

63%

ORANGE

1,065

665

62%

DIXIE

4

3

75%

OSCEOLA

379

262

69%

DUVAL

438

232

53%

PALM BEACH

632

277

44%

ESCAMBIA

372

231

62%

PASCO

334

192

57%

FLAGLER

104

70

67%

PINELLAS

791

343

43%

FRANKLIN

2

1

50%

POLK

779

378

49%

GADSDEN

37

27

73%

PUTNAM

145

83

57%

GILCHRIST

18

13

72%

ST. JOHNS

189

139

74%

GLADES

6

6

100%

ST. LUCIE

386

218

56%

GULF

8

6

75%

SANTA ROSA

79

45

57%

HAMILTON

6

5

83%

SARASOTA

221

123

56%

HARDEE

23

12

52%

SEMINOLE

337

202

60%

HENDRY

66

46

70%

SUMTER

38

25

66%

HERNANDO

129

72

56%

SUWANNEE

64

44

69%

HIGHLANDS

119

62

52%

TAYLOR

11

7

64%

1,097

662

60%

UNION

17

12

71%

HILLSBOROUGH
HOLMES

10

7

70%

VOLUSIA

714

418

59%

121

73

60%

WAKULLA

28

17

61%

JACKSON

43

22

51%

WALTON

44

20

45%

JEFFERSON

10

7

70%

WASHINGTON

10

4

40%

LAFAYETTE

7

4

57%

OTHER

39

26

67%

TOTAL

14,758

8,541

58%

INDIAN RIVER

1

Unduplicated number of youth received by DJJ with at least one school based delinquency referral.

2

Unduplicated number of youth received by DJJ whose school-based offense was their first delinquency referral.

Page 13

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

STUDENT STATUS AND SCHOOL REFERRALS1
Analysts from the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and the Department of Education (DOE)
examined 14,758 youth who received a school-related referral during FY 2010-11 to determine the
extent to which certain behaviors or statuses affect delinquency in schools. DOE analysts were able to
match 7,674 of these youth to education status and discipline records. The results indicated that, for
the youth for whom this information was available, a large percentage of youth who received a schoolrelated delinquency referral had a prior history of truancy or suspension. Smaller proportions of these
youth were identified in an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) status or were previously expelled from
school.

School Referral Students & School
Status/History (FY 2010-11)
90%
80%
70%

83%

60%
60%

50%

57%

40%
30%

34%

20%
10%
5%

0%
OUT-OFSCHOOL
SUSPENSION

IN-SCHOOL
SUSPENSION

CHRONIC
ABSENTEEISM

ESE STUDENT

PREVIOUS
EXPULSION

Source: Department of Eduction (DOE). Percentages reflect rates for only youth
whoseschool discipline and status data were available (n=7,674 out of 14,758).

1

In the 2007-08 Delinquency in Schools report, the Department reported student status and discipline rates (percentages)
based on the total number of youth who received a school-related delinquency referral. Department of Education (DOE)
analysts are not able to match all DJJ youth to student records because of missing social security numbers or other data
issues. For 2009-10, DJJ presents student discipline and status rates only for the youth where data between the two agencies
are available. The resulting percentages are higher than what has been reported previously; however, we believe this is a
more accurate way of reflecting results. This only affects information in the “Student Status” section of this report.

Page 14

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

DEFINITION OF TERMS AND DATA SOURCES
CHRONICALLY ABSENT – refers to a youth with 21 or more absences during a school year and within two
years of being referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice for school-related delinquency. Data
Source: Florida Department of Education.
DELINQUENCY REFERRAL RECEIVED – refers to a “case” involving a youth that has been received by the
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Local, state and federal law enforcement arrest and refer youth
to the Department. Data Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Justice Information
System (JJIS).
DELINQUENT YOUTH RECEIVED – refers to the unduplicated number of youth received by the
Department of Juvenile Justice during the fiscal year. Some youth may be arrested and referred to the
Department multiple times over the course of a single year. A youth with multiple delinquency referrals
is only counted once in this category. Data Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Juvenile
Justice Information System (JJIS).
DISMISSED, NOT FILED, ETC – refers to cases that were ultimately dismissed, not filed or otherwise not
pursued by the juvenile or adult court. Data Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Juvenile
Justice Information System (JJIS).
DIVERSION SERVICES – refers to cases disposed by the court to diversion services. Examples of
diversion services include but are not limited to: civil citation, teen court, intensive delinquency
diversion services (IDDS), and juvenile alternative services program (JASP). Data Source: Florida
Department of Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).
EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION (ESE) – refers to a student enrolled in or eligible for enrollment in
the public schools in a district that requires special instruction. This can include services to take full
advantage of or respond to educational programs and opportunities because of a physical, mental,
emotional, social or learning exceptionality. Data Source: Florida Department of Education.
FIRST REFERRAL – refers to youth whose first delinquency referral was school-related. Data Source:
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).
FISCAL YEAR – the state of Florida fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.
IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION – refers to youth who received one or more in-school suspension within two
years of being referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice for school-related delinquency. After or
during school detention is an example of an in-school suspension. Data Source: Florida Department of
Education (DOE).
OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSION – refers to a youth who received at least one out-of-school suspension
within two years of being referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice for school-related delinquency.
Data Source: Florida Department of Education (DOE).
Page 15

DELINQUENCY IN FLORIDA’S SCHOOLS: SEVEN YEARS OF IMPROVEMENT

RATE (SCHOOL RERERRAL) – refers to the number of school-related delinquency referrals for every
1,000 students in public school grades 6-12.
RESIDENTIAL COMMITMENT – refers to cases that were disposed to a Department of Juvenile Justice
residential commitment placement. Data Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Juvenile
Justice Information System (JJIS).
SCHOOL-RELATED REFERRALS RECEIVED – refers to a “case” involving a youth that has been received by
the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice for an offense occurring on school grounds, a school bus, an
official school bus stop, or a school event. Local, state and federal law enforcement arrest and refer
youth to the Department. Data Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Juvenile Justice
Information System (JJIS).
SCHOOL-RELATED YOUTH RECEIVED – refers to the unduplicated number of youth received by the
Department of Juvenile Justice during the fiscal year for an offense occurring on school grounds, a
school bus, an official school bus stop, or a school event. Some youth may be arrested and referred to
the Department multiple times over the course of a single year. A youth with multiple delinquency
referrals is only counted once in this category. Data Source: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ),
Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).
STUDENT POPULATION – refers to the number of public school students in grades 6-12 during the 200809 school year. Student population figures do not include students participating in “virtual” schools or in
some specialized schools, (i.e. FSU LAB, FAMU LAB, FAU LAB, UF LAB, Dozier, DEAF/BLIND or FLVA).
Data Source: Florida Department of Education (DOE), Survey 2 Data.
PREVIOUS EXPULSION – refers to a youth who was expelled from a public school within two years of
being referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice for school-related delinquency. Data Source:
Florida Department of Education (DOE).
PROBATION SERVICES – refers to cases that were disposed to general juvenile probation. Data Source:
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).
OTHER OUTCOME – refers to cases that were not disposed at the time of this report or received some
other outcome such as court fines or a judicial warning. Data Source: Florida Department of Juvenile
Justice (DJJ), Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).
TRANSFER TO ADULT COURT – refers to cases that were transferred to adult court. The majority of
transfers to adult court cases were direct-filed by local state attorneys. Data Source: Florida Department
of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).

Page 16