Domestic Violence Advocates
Considering any type of order should always be done in the context of thorough and individualized safety planning.
Extreme Risk Protection Orders can be a safety planning tool for advocates working with survivors of domestic violence who are worried about their safety due to their abuser having access to a firearm. Survivors can also consider having guns removed from their abuser through a 209A Restraining Order. Court based advocates can help survivors consider their options and decide what plan is best.
How you can help/ steps to take
Advocates can educate survivors about the availability of an ERPO.
- Assess how an ERPO might help the survivor feel safer, or whether that might further anger the abuser, making the survivor feel less safe
- Walk your client through the process of filing an ERPO
- Bring up concerns to a law enforcement officer
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Data/Stats
- From 2003-2012, 33.2% of all domestic violence-related homicides were from firearms (janedoe.org)
- Each year, 600 women in America are shot and killed by an intimate partner, and millions of women have been non fatally shot or threatened with a gun by an intimate partner. When an abuser has access to a gun, a domestic violence victim is five times more likely to be killed. (Giffords Law Center Facts About Gun Violence PDF)
Resources
Find out more on our Resources Page.