involuntary commitment

When it comes to children, Florida's law regarding involuntary commitments for psychiatric treatment is applied inconsistently.

To keep children from being committed under the Baker Act, some schools are addressing early childhood trauma and changing their approach to student discipline.

Data shows children who are committed under the Baker Act often are referred by school officials. School shootings and other incidents have placed more pressure on officials to intervene.

Each year, about 36,000 children in Florida are involuntarily committed for psychiatric evaluations under the state's Baker Act and disabled kids are becoming increasingly ensnared.

The number of children who are taken for involuntary psychiatric evaluations in Florida increases every year. This is the first story in a five-part series about how the state's Baker Act affects children.