Protection orders
When someone doesn’t feel safe because of another person’s behavior, they might seek a protection order. Civil protection orders are a legal option that someone can seek for themselves.
A protection order may require another person to refrain from:
- Coming near you, your home, place of school or work, or other places you frequent (such as a place of worship or gym)
- Contacting you in person or via phone, text message, or email
- Having a third party contact you on their behalf
King County’s Protection order site provides information on the types of civil and criminal protection orders available in Washington state and how to obtain them.
Who should I talk to about getting a protection order?
Getting a protection order, or deciding which kind to get, can be a confusing process. If you are considering whether a protection order is right for you, we highly recommend you consult with a confidential advocate or SafeCampus.
What should I do if I already have a protection order?
SafeCampus has a victim-centered approach and will let you make the decisions about what you’d like to do and whom you want to know about your situation. There are many ways we can help improve your safety at work or school via personal safety planning, a workplace security assessment/plan, and connecting you with one of our UW victim advocates. We can create alert bulletins for your faculty or co-workers so that they can be on the lookout for the respondent and alert police if needed.
The UW Policy and Procedure on Violence in the Workplace encourages you to provide a copy to the UW Police Department to discuss the details of the order so that they are prepared to enforce it. You can call SafeCampus to assess whether this option is right for you.