Wisconsin’s requirements to obtain a civil domestic violence protection order earned the state the grade of a B by Break the Cycle, an organization of advocates who wish to end domestic violence.

Wisconsin was one of nine states to receive a B, whereas five states received A’s, 14 received C’s, 12 received D’s and 11 received F’s from the organization.

According to Break the Cycle spokesperson Loren Pomerantz, states are graded on the ease in which individuals can receive domestic restraining orders.

The organization takes into account age, parental consent and relationship to the abuser. Procedures to receive a protection order vary from state to state, Pomerantz added.

New Hampshire is currently the only state where citizens can go to court at any age and apply for a protection order.

“Any states that don’t acknowledge teen dating relationships get an F,” Pomerantz said. “A lot of states use the report card as a tool to change the law in their state.”

The University of Wisconsin has a variety of services to help individuals in abusive relationships, according to Carmen Hotvedt, University Health Services violence prevention specialist.

UHS, for example, offers counseling, consolation and medical and prevention services free of charge for students, Hotvedt added.

“[While] we don’t have an office that is solely dedicated to helping people get orders of protection, we have lots of people who are knowledgeable and can help them get one themselves,” Hotvedt said.

To help students obtain an order of protection, the university pairs with the Domestic Abuse Intervention Services. The partnership will soon become formalized as the result of a recent $30,000 grant by the Department of Justice.

The DOJ also awarded a $15,000 grant to the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence as part of the DOJ’s Crime Victim Services Victim of Crime Act Tuesday, according to a statement from Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen.

The grant will be used to fund the 13th Annual Leadership Institute for Communities of People of Color Working to End Domestic Violence, the statement said.

“It is critical that all victims of domestic violence feel safe utilizing services that are culturally sensitive and relevant to their needs,” Patti Seeger, WCADV executive director, said in the statement.