Do protection orders (PO) work?

This meta-analysis suggests that POs aren't enough to keep victims safe – in cases of domestic violence that involve stalking. And so POs must be combined with other interventions.

The meta-analysis examines whether protection orders (PO) are effective in reducing domestic violence. Stalking comes in, as some domestic violence cases involve stalking.

Overall, the analysis finds there is "emerging evidence" that POs reduce "subsequent violence to some extent". However, this is for domestic violence cases that don't involve stalking and a few other factors.

So what about domestic violence cases that do involve stalking? Doesn't look promising. The analysis reports:

"All five studies [included in the meta-analysis] investigating stalking reported stalking to be a significant predictive factor for ongoing PO violations and increased physical, psychological, and sexual violence to victims, as well as poorer mental health and a lower sense of safety."

Why? Potentially because stalking is harder to prove and is taken less urgently by authorities.

The analysis concludes:

"effectiveness of POs [for stalking victims] may only be achieved ... when POs are combined with community-based interventions that offer further education, support, and resources to victims together with greater surveillance of offenders."

A bit on the meta-analysis's methodology:

• The analyses include 25 studies, covering 31,586 participants.

• All studies were US-based, except 1 study (Sweden).

• Most victims in the studies were female, while most offenders were male.

• Of the 25 studies: "19 were case series, 3 used a case control study design, 2 were retrospective cohort studies, and 1 was a prospective cohort study."