Research has shown that the effectiveness of civil protection orders for victims of family violence depends on how specific and comprehensive the orders are and how well they are enforced. Civil Protection Orders: Victims' Views on Effectiveness examines National Institute of Justice (NIJ)-sponsored research, involving interviews with women who filed protection orders, that concluded that victims' views on the effectiveness of protection orders vary with how accessible the courts are for victims and how well established the links are between public and private services and support resources for victims. In addition, violations of the protection order increase and reported effectiveness decreases as the criminal record of the abuser becomes more serious.