Social Awareness

Anyone can experience financial abuse. It can occur no matter your age, where you live, your occupation, your abilities or disabilities, your sexuality, your gender, your religion, your ethnicity, your skin colour, your residential status, your education, your social class, whether you live with your partner, whether you have children or whether you are in a monogamous relationship, have more than one partner or if you are no longer in a relationship. Financial abuse can also occur in other family relationships. This can be between parents and children, between relatives or in any family-like relationship such as with carers or housemates. Although it can happen to anyone, like other forms of family violence, the vast majority of violence is perpetrated by men against women. The effects of financial abuse are often devastating. Victims feel inadequate and unsure of themselves due to the emotional abuse that accompanies financial abuse. They also have to go without food and other necess...

Financial abuse involves controlling a victim's ability to acquire, use, and maintain financial resources. Those who are victimized financially may be prevented from working. While less commonly understood than other forms of abuse, financial abuse is one of the most powerful methods of keeping a victim trapped in an abusive relationship. Research shows that victims often are too concerned about their ability to provide financially for themselves and their children to end the relationship. Financial insecurity is also one of the top reasons women return to an abusive partner. Signs of Financial Abuse Overall, financial abuse is very isolating because victims often become financially dependent on their abusers. This financial dependence traps them in the relationship. Without resources, they are unable to see a way out of their situation.Below is an overview of the way financial abuse is perpetrated. Some abusers may use all of these tactics while others may only use one or two. Re...

  “He would belittle my professional achievements and act as timekeeper to demand I did not work late to further my career. He would speak and act as if my time were his possession that I was stealing by going the extra mile at work.” “I worked for his business full-time seven days a week, but I wasn’t paid. I was given £30 a week to run the house. He said I was doing it for the family.” “The income was in his name; the outgoings were in my name”. “We’d go shopping together but I wouldn’t dare put anything into the trolley. I’d tell  the children they couldn’t put anything in either as we had no money.” “It’s the basis of all control. They make you dependent on them. They cut off your routes of what you can do. Finance is the basics. I was given such a little amount then expected to buy things and do things.” Sounds relatable?  Financial abuse is one aspect of domestic violence, as a type of abuse occurring within the context of coercive and controlling behavior. Coerciv...