In the state of West Virginia, a policy has recently been changed that removed "harassment" as a qualification for a personal safety order (PSO). 

In the state of West Virginia, a policy exists establishing the right to a Domestic Violence Protective Order that will protect a victim of violence from a person that happens to be a former romantic partner, spouse, family member, etc. The Personal Safety Order was designed to protect people from abusers that are non-family members. For example, a freshman college student may be raped at a party by someone she just met and would like a protective order against him. Because he is not a family member, she would apply for a Personal Safety Order.

Personal Safety Orders were originially meant to include the protection from sexual assault, incest, stalking, and harassment. However, when the WV Magistrate courts reread the qualification for a PSO, they were worried that the inclusion of "harassment" would result in a flood of applicants for a PSO. The courts believed people would apply for a PSO to prevent their neighbors from coming on to their property or against a parent they disagree with at a baseball game.

Because of this fear, the term "harassment" was removed as a qualification for a PSO, and was replaced with a term that required "repeated credible threats of bodily injury."

The problem with the termonology change is that it often would take a victim of stalking or harassment a decent amont of time to even realize how long he/she has been stalked, and then even more time to gather enough evidence to present to a Magistrate Court. By that time, the victim could be seriously fightened or even hurt. Also, the term "bodily injury" neglects the mental and emotional damage of stalking or harassment.

Silence Hides Violence, a student organization at West Virginia University dedicated to the awareness of dating and domestic violence, sexual assault and rape, is aiming to reverse this policy change. 

But, we need your help!