While the police cynically refer to a Restraining Order as Paper Kevlar, it DOES establish a verifiable trail that the perp was stalking the victim and will come in handy when the victim shoots the crap out of said perp when he comes after them again.
Time after time you hear the meme We cant arrest him until he tries something. And then, when something is tried, they cordon off the crime scene with yellow tape and draw a chalk outline around the victim.
Who is within that outline is determined by whether or not the victim armed him/her self.