Providing domestic violence victims the protection they need

Although domestic violence usually takes place behind closed doors and is a very hush-hush type of violence, the violence and the implications that go along with the violence can and often do spill over into other aspects of one's life. Domestic violence impacts the victim on various levels. The physical abuse is just one part of the violence. The emotional and psychological abuse can be just as damaging as the physical abuse and sometimes may last even longer. Once the physical scars have healed, the victim still has to deal with everything else that goes along with domestic violence.

Unfortunately, there are instances where domestic violence victims are discriminated against in such a way that may affect their livelihood. The abuser may start to stalk and harass the victim making it difficult and at times impossible for the victim to tend to their daily activities. In California, the legislature has made it illegal for victims of domestic violence as well as other types of violence to be discriminated against by their employer. The law also makes the employer provide accommodations that are reasonable for the employee should this situation occur.

The California law goes a long way to provide protections for domestic violence victims. Speaking about domestic violence in general terms, there are protective orders that are issued by courts and in some cases the police in order to ensure that the victim is free from harm. There are, protective orders, which may be either temporary or permanent depending on the situation and emergency protective orders at the court's disposal in handling cases of domestic violence.

With the exception of the emergency protective order, the victim has to be his or her own proponent and seek out the protective order. This means that the victim has to go to the court, report the abuse and take the necessary steps to provide the court with the appropriate information to issue the order.