Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Protection Orders for Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence in Vhembe District of South Africa

The aim of this study was to assess the value of protection orders in reducing intimate partner violence against women in the Vhemba district of South Africa. In a one-group pre-post test study design 118 women who had received a protection order were assessed with measures of intimate partner violence immediately after receiving the protection order and six months later. The results show that the levels of violence decreased significantly from time 1 to time 2. This result suggests that a protection order may have value in reducing intimate partner violence experienced by women in South Africa.