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Many other states authorize a criminal protective order process, which separates protective orders from the civil courts and allows District Attorneys to prosecute the PO rather than the survivor carrying the burden on their own.

Oklahoma cannot afford to miss the opportunities provided to separate the abuser from the victim when the victim is filing the protective order. Victim services and district courts should collaborate on providing rides, shelter space, and additional "extraction" help to victims when they are filing their protective orders.

Legal clinics are an innovative way to respond to and intervene in domestic violence cycles. Legal clinics, like the one at the University of Maryland School of Law's Gender Violence Clinic, allow students to represent survivors on protective orders, advocate for better policy, and work to improve court processes.

Many times survivors have to return to court every two weeks while they wait for the abuser to be served. The Oklahoma Legislature should authorize service by publication so that abusers with no known address or those who are evading service can be served and the case can proceed.

Several other states have integrated restorative justice principles into their Batterers Intervention Programs. The results show recidivism goes down and participants report better management of their anger and reduced violent outbursts.

Some studies show that as many as 40% of police officer families have some incidence of family violence. These cultural dynamics within police forces contribute to poor domestic violence response, and allow domestic abuse to perpetuate unseen and unaddressed.