Pennsylvania is seeing an increase in protection from abuse (PFA) filings.

The state was on a steady decline of PFA filings, but the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania revealed Friday that it’s seen 5% increase from 2014 to 2017.

In 2014 there were 37,085 PFA orders filed, and in 2017 a total of 39,083 were filed. 

A protection from abuse order is a civil order that helps protect victims of domestic abuse, providing relief from abuse by an intimate partner, dating partner, or family member.