SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Every person has a right to be safe and free from violence and abuse in his or her home and intimate relationships.
(b) Domestic violence is a pervasive public safety and public health problem that affects people of all income levels, cultures, religions, ages, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and neighborhoods.
(c) Domestic violence is not limited to actual and threatened physical acts of violence, but also includes sexual abuse, stalking, psychological
and emotional abuse, financial control, property control, and other behaviors by the abuser that are designed to exert coercive control and power over the victim.
(d) There is a positive correlation between domestic violence and child abuse, and children, even when they are not physically assaulted, suffer deep and lasting emotional, health, and behavioral effects from exposure to domestic violence.
(e) Domestic violence victims face significant barriers to safely leaving an abusive relationship, including, but not limited to, a risk of retaliation and escalated violence by the abuser, concerns over the safety and custody of their children, an impending loss of financial support and housing, the responsibility for other household members and pets, and difficulties accessing legal and community
systems to seek protection from abuse.
(f) Studies have shown that obtaining a civil protective order
against an abuser can increase a victim’s safety, decrease a victim’s fear of future harm, and improve a victim’s overall sense of well being and self-esteem.
(g) Because the issuance of civil protective orders often results in declines in domestic violence, public money spent on protective order intervention produces significant cost savings to society, including decreasing victims’ time off from work, property loss, use of health services, and use of community, legal, and criminal justice interventions.
(h) Civil protective orders are most effective when they offer comprehensive relief to address the various barriers victims face when safely separating from an abuser, are specific in their terms, and are consistently enforced.
(i) For these reasons, the effective issuance and enforcement of civil protective orders are of paramount importance in the State of California as a means for promoting safety, reducing violence and abuse, and preventing serious injury and death.