Abstract
Despite the fact that all U.S. states offer some form of civil protection orders to intimate partner violence (IPV) victims, little research has assessed their efficacy. In this analysis, the effect of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on civil protection order effectiveness is examined. The results indicate that race/ethnicity, overall, is not a significant predictor in protection order efficacy. However, SES, as measured by the petitioner's highest educational attainment, employment status, and income, is statistically related to repeat victimization and perceptions of efficacy. Policy recommendations and areas for future research are proposed.