Restraining Order In Court Cases

There are several options available for a victim to protect themselves from things that may put them in harm’s way such as stalking or abuse. These options include restraining orders, protection orders, and peace bonds that can allow the victim to call the police if the abuser violates any guidelines in these orders. Though these orders may not fully stop an abuser from stalking or causing harm onto a victim, it does form an opportunity for the offender to be placed under arrest.

A restraining order simply sets a sequence of guidelines that prohibits an individual from pestering or collaborating with the victim except as set out in the order (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2013, p. 345). If a family is involved, then a protection order may be in the victim’s best interest. Compared to a restraining order, a protection order is not based on the victim’s fear of safety from the offender lines (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2013, p. 345). A protection order is routinely handled by law enforcement but prepared through the court system (Weisberg, 2015). With the assistance of a lawyer, an application must be first placed with the court in order for an individual to attain a protection order
Once the request is administered, the protection order can prohibit the offender from making contact with the victim; the offender must remove themselves from the premise and stay away from areas the victim might be; the order can also play a role in the custody of children involved, such as having the children stay with the victim and not the offender; the order can also give provisional proprietorship to any possessions owned by both parties to the victim (Weisberg, 2015). Finally, the Interstate Stalking Punishment and Prevention Act of 1996 allowed protection orders violations to be a federal crime across all state lines (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2013, p. 345). Though