Youth Access to Protection Orders: A National Overview

To facilitate policy improvements and clarify future best practices, Break the Cycle began the State Law Report Card Project. The Report Cards focus on minors’ access to Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) and identify five indicators for assessing each state’s laws. Each state’s civil domestic protection order laws and their impact on minors seeking protection from abusive relationships were assessed and steps for improving protections were outlined in this document. The indicators were developed by legal professionals who work directly with teen clients and from literature on the most common legal barriers facing youth who experience dating abuse.