A Personal Protection Order (PPO) is a legal binding court order that aims to limit or stop the constant contact, harassment, stalking, violent and manipulative behaviors an abuser inflicts on their victims. At S.A.F.E. Place, we assist survivors and victims of human trafficking and domestic violence file for PPOs and work to remove the barrier of hiring a servicing processor for all we assist. While we recognize and grieve the severity of situations that lead to individuals seeking PPOS, we celebrate and promote the fact that a legal court order can be put in place to help victims, survivors, and their families feel a sense of safety and security from their abusers. 

As S.A.F.E. Place’s Criminal Justice Advocate, I have helped countless victims and survivors successfully file for PPOs. While I celebrate each time a survivor or victim secures their sense of safety, some cases stand out more than others. In a recent case, the survivor I was working with was successfully granted, served, and legally enforceable. The abuser adhered to the PPO court order, which positively changed the survivor’s daily life. She no longer received 20 to 30 text messages daily filled with harassment and threats from her abuser. She no longer had to worry every minute about her abuser showing up at job with the purpose of sabotaging her only means of income and achieving financial independence. She was able to relax in her home knowing her abuser was legally not allowed to interfere with the safe space she was creating for herself. Her abuser no longer sent her flowers and cards in the mail as manipulative tactics to gain back her trust and “win” her back. She began to return to her life freely visiting the grocery store, attending Sunday church services, and taking her child to the playground where they could make memories together. Her life changed when she was able to feel the sense of security and safety that a legally enforceable PPO gave her. 

There are countless ways to support individuals in your life with a PPO already in place. If you witness a PPO being violated, call the police if your own safety allows it and be willing to report what you witnessed, so the abuser may be held accountable for their conscious choices and abusive actions. Most importantly, you can simply be a supportive listener for the survivor by validating their fears, progress, and journey. You can support the survivor along their journey of striving to live a life free of violence and fear and, instead, a life full of peace and love.

If you feel called to support survivors and victims who seek PPOs, please consider donating to S.A.F.E. Place PPO and Divorce Fund. All donations are appreciated and will contribute to the sense of security and safety that victims and survivors in our community feel. For a direct impact, consider donating the cost of hiring a service processor ($40) during our PPO Funds Campaign running from June 23-July 7, 2023. Donate here.

Notice – The above is one example of a situation in which the presence of a PPO successfully helped a client feel a sense of safety. We at S.A.F.E. Place fully acknowledge that an abuser may or may not adhere to a PPO order and there are instances in which the presence of a PPO may escalate the abuser; thereby increasing the abuse and the survivor’s level of lethality.

Written by Melissa Smith, Criminal Justice Advocate