Why Courts Maintain Restraining Orders
Central Concept: Survivor Safety (center of diagram)
Four Key Pillars Feeding Into Safety Decision:
- History of Abuse / Prior Incidents
- Physical, emotional, financial abuse
- Past threats, harassment, or criminal records
(feeds risk assessment)
- Professional Reports
- Psychologist / psychiatrist: personality traits, risk of harm, coercive control
- Medical records: evidence of injury or trauma
- Social workers / child welfare reports (if children involved)
- Police Reports / Legal Records
- Verified incidents
- Previous restraining orders or convictions
- Patterns of escalation
- Survivor Testimony / Ongoing Risk
- Lived experience of fear
- Reports of manipulation, intimidation, financial or emotional coercion
- Nervous system / trauma indicators
How It Works in the Diagram:
- Each pillar points toward the center (Survivor Safety)
- Surrounding the center is “Court Decision: Maintain Order”, reinforced by:
- Pattern Recognition: Predicts future risk based on history
- Neuroscience Insight: Nervous system trauma + threat patterns justify continued protection
- Coercive Control Awareness: Recognizes manipulation cycles
- Optional overlay: Escalation Arrows
- Show that removal of protection can lead to financial abuse, emotional abuse, or physical escalation
Bottom Note on Diagram:
“Restraining orders are preventive, not punitive. They reflect objective risk, professional evaluation, and nervous system safety, not a judgment on remorse.”
