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People can get hurt either accidentally (through injuries) or on purpose (through violence).

Violence includes hitting, pushing, biting, kicking, beating and shooting. People who are violent are parents, boyfriends or girlfriends, husbands or wives, friends, brothers or sisters and strangers. Violence can cause everything from fear to broken bones to death. Murder is the second leading cause of death in Pinellas County for people 10 to 24 years old. In Pinellas County, current or former boyfriend, husband, girlfriend or wife committed one-fourth of all murders.

Most accidental injuries in Pinellas County are the result of falling, car crashes, poisoning or drowning. Pinellas County leads the state in deaths from poisoning and ranks sixth in the state for drowning deaths in children under five years old. Accidental injuries are the fifth leading cause of death in Pinellas County.

Injuries and violence are within the top 10 reasons for hospital stays in every age group in Pinellas County.

The goal of the Pinellas County Health Department's Injury and Violence Prevention Program is to prevent and reduce the effect of all types of injuries and violence in Pinellas County.

Contact Information

Injury and Violence Prevention Office:

205 Dr. M.L.K. Jr. Street N. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-824-6979 (Phone)

Domestic and Dating Violence:

This program trains all health department employees to ask about domestic and dating violence. It also trains staff in how to help those in need of services.

Helping Children Feel Safe:

As a partner in the Safe Start Partnership Center, we are involved in staff training, coordination of services and presentations designed to help children less than seven years old exposed to violence. Free services for children and their families, as well as public presentations, are offered countywide.

Fall Prevention for Seniors:

Falls are the number one reason for 911 calls in Pinellas County and are the type of injury that causes the most deaths and hospital stays. The Injury and Violence Prevention Program Manager represents the agency on the Fall Prevention Coalition, which works to raise community awareness about preventing falls among the county’s residents and visitors over 65 years old. Activities include a web site with fall prevention information, a home safety checklist to assist seniors in making their homes safer, speakers who can make presentations to audiences who want to learn more about preventing injuries from falling, and training in strength and balance to help prevent falls for senior citizens.

Drowning Prevention:

Pinellas County ranks 6th in the State of Florida for drowning deaths of very young children. This program participates in a water safety campaign each Spring, in anticipation of the summer months when drowning is most common. Printed materials, video tapes, and public service announcements are available to the public at no charge, and presenters can attend community meetings and gatherings to help parents understand the best ways to keep their children safe around water.

Prevention Research:

The Program Manager can obtain data for local agencies and residents on various injuries, upon request.

Links and Referrals:

• Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA) - South County Domestic Violence Center
  www.casa-stpete.org
  24-hour access line: 727-895-4912

• The Haven of Religious Community Services (RCS) - North County Domestic Violence Center www.havenrcs.org
  24-hour access line: 727-442-4128

• Safe Start Partnership Center - Help for Children Exposed to Violence
  www.safestartpinellas.org

• Fall Prevention Coalition – Fall Prevention Tips for Seniors
  www.pinellasfallprevention.com

• Safe Kids Coalition – Injury Prevention Tips for Kids
  www.safekids.org

"We try non-violence for a week and when it doesn't work, we return to violence - which hasn't worked in hundreds of years." Theodore Rosak