FAMILY LAW ARTICLES

New law aims to have salon professions help in the fight against domestic violence

It is incredibly important that domestic abuse victims get the protection, support and resources they need. However, there can be barriers to this happening.

One such barrier is fear. Fears, such as fear of their abuser, could lead to a domestic violence victim not reporting the abuse and not reaching out for help.

When a domestic violence victim is afraid to report the abuse, the individuals that person trusts could play an important role in helping the person get connected with the resources and support they need.

For some individuals, the list of people they trust includes their hairstylist or another salon professional that they regularly see. A new California law aims to help salon professionals play a role in the battle against domestic violence and other forms of abuse.

The new law was signed by the governor late last month. Under the law, the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology is authorized to take domestic-violence-awareness-promotion measures when it comes to the state’s salon professionals. Among the things the law does is direct that classes on abuse prevention awareness be added to the licensing process for these professionals.

The hope of the new law is that promoting abuse prevention awareness among salon professionals will put such professionals in a strong position to help connect clients of theirs who have been subjected to domestic violence or other abuse with help and resources.

What impacts do you think this new law will have?

Another thing that could keep a domestic violence victim from getting the support and protection they need is uncertainty. When a victim of domestic violence is uncertain of what rights they have, it could lead to them not pursuing legal routes that could provide them with important protections. Skilled domestic violence attorneys understand how important having a clear picture of one’s rights can be for domestic violence victims and can provide such individuals with explanations of their rights. They can also help victims with pursuing the protections such rights make available.

Source: 23ABC, “Gov. Brown signs domestic violence bill to promote awareness among salon professionals,” Sept. 27, 2017