Orders of protection are necessary to defend persons facing various threats. In the United States (U.S.), for instance, many Americans file for orders of protection whenever they feel exposed to unsafe situations (Richards et al., 2018). Situations that warrant the filing for orders of protection include domestic violence, child abuse, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault.
Extension of relief to threatened individuals is one of the positive aspects related to orders of protection. The National Center on Protection and Full Faith and Credit (2010) highlighted that orders of protection direct abusers to stop subjecting their victims to further harassment. Additional punishment is considered in cases where the perpetrator violates the order. However, orders of protection have negative aspects such as exacerbating abuse. In such cases, perpetrators might opt to subject their victims to additional harm.
Whether protection orders are effective is a highly debatable issue. Protection orders are deemed effective if they contribute to lessening complaints’ exposure to further harm (Richards et al., 2018). On the other hand, failure to limit a victim’s exposure to additional threats is a sign of ineffectiveness. Protection orders have contributed to securing the lives of victims of various offenses such as stalking and domestic violence (Richards et al., 2018). However, such orders have been violated leading to the commission of heinous crimes such as murder. Consequently, in my view, protective orders have not attained a high level of effectiveness.
Orders of protection are significant in the administration of justice. The orders play a useful role in providing victims of various offenses security. Despite their perceived usefulness, orders of protection are not fully effective because they do not guarantee security to threatened individuals.
References
National Center on Protection and Full Faith and Credit. (2015). Protection order relief matrix. Arlington, VA: Author.
Richards, T. N., Tudor, A., & Gover, A. R. (2018). An updated assessment of personal protective order statutes in the united states: Have statutes become more progressive in the past decade? Violence Against Women, 24(7), 816-842. Web.