Protection orders (POs) are one legal system resource available to survivors of intimate partner violence. Many survivors choose not to obtain a PO, yet prior research has not examined the perspectives of these survivors. This study examined the open-ended survey responses (n = 308) regarding the choice not to obtain a PO by survivors residing in emergency shelters in the United States. Content analysis indicated that many survivors made deliberate decisions to not seek safety through this venue. Survivors indicated that a PO may increase their partner’s violence, identified substantial barriers, evaluated a PO as unnecessary, preferred alternative strategies, were dealing with complex partner dynamics, and chose to protect their loved ones by not seeking a PO. Women with marginalized identities, in particular, indicated that there are multiple costs to seeking interventions within the legal system. Structural changes are needed within the legal system to facilitate access to justice for survivors.

保护令（PO）是亲密伴侣暴力幸存者可以使用的一种法律系统资源。许多幸存者选择不获取PO，但是先前的研究并未检查这些幸存者的观点。这项研究调查了开放式调查的答复（n（第308页）。内容分析表明，许多幸存者做出了不通过该场所寻求安全的故意决定。幸存者表示，PO可能会增加伴侣的暴力行为，发现实质性障碍，将PO视为不必要的首选策略，正在处理复杂的伴侣动态，并选择不寻求PO来保护自己的亲人。身份被边缘化的妇女尤其表示，在法律体系内寻求干预措施要付出多重代价。法律体系内需要进行结构性改革，以便利幸存者诉诸司法。