Cassandra felt hopeless. “The police keep telling me to get a protection order, but it keeps getting denied because I haven’t had any physical abuse,” she explained. “But my ex keeps driving by, posting about me online, making false reports to my job and to child protection... she won’t stop until she ruins my life!”

Protection orders are touted as a key legal tool for victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and are frequently the first suggestion for those offering support. “Get a protection order” is often the advice offered by law enforcement, who otherwise throw up their hands in most IPV situations. However, while protection orders may seem like a simple solution, they often fail to stop abusive people—particularly those who employ nonphysical tactics of control and harm3,5.

On average, it takes a victim seven attempts to leave before staying away from a partner for good, often due to how difficult it can be to leave an abusive relationship1. Exiting a relationship is the most unsafe time for a victim, as the abuser senses they’re losing power and will often act in dangerous ways to regain control over their victim.1 If the abuser can no longer put their hands on a victim due to proximity or fears of the law, they will wrap their hands around the victim with a different kind of hold: psychological abuse.

A key challenge in domestic violence law is the difficulty in addressing psychological abuse, such as manipulation, harassment, slander, and legal abuse, among other tactics used to maintain control2. While physical violence can be more easily documented with medical records or police reports, nonphysical forms of abuse are much harder to identify and........

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