What is economic abuse?
Economic abuse is when one’s access to economic opportunities is controlled or limited by an intimate partner which creates dependence which is the biggest barrier to leaving an abusive relationship. This behaviour changes shape and form even after a relationship has ended whereby money, mostly child support, becomes the tool used to cause harm.
Sometimes (but not always) financial abuse will be recognised by the police as coercive or controlling behaviour, which is also recognized as a form of domestic violence. Economic abuse can take different forms and can happen to anyone of any age. Abusers can be partners, family members or others, such as carers. Financial abuse is often part of wider economic abuse.
Economic abuse includes having final control or manipulating income, spending, bank accounts, accounts and borrowing. It can also include controlling access to and use of things like transport and technology, which allow us to work and stay connected, as well as property and daily essentials like food and clothing. It can include destroying items and refusing to contribute to household expenses or even deliberately not paying maintenance as a form of controlling and coercive behaviour.
The impact of economic abuse
Economic abuse usually happens together with other forms of abuse such as physical, sexual and psychological abuse as just another way that the abuser manipulates and controls the victim survivor. It is estimated that in at least 95% of cases, economic abuse will also be present when there are other forms of abuse being committed.
The impact of economic abuse can be seen where the abuser wants to create economic instability and/or make one partner economically dependent, which limits their freedom. The victim-survivor is then without access to money and the things that money can buy, it is difficult to leave an abuser and access safety. Practice has shown that someone experiencing this type of abuse can become so trapped in their relationship with the abuser, that they unable to offer resistance to the abuser’s control and at risk of further harm or that they stay in that relationship, simply because they do not have the means and resources to escape from this abuse relationship.
The after-effects of economic abuse can be challenging when it comes to rebuilding your life. Many victim-survivors leave with nothing, having no money (not even for essentials). Some leave with huge amounts of debts that was racked up by their partner and this could have a direct influence on their creditworthiness and long term financial economic stability.
How to spot economic abuse
Economic abuse comes in many shapes in forms, but the underlying behaviour is coercive and controlling behaviour by the abuser. An abuser might do any of the following:
Sabotage your income and access to money:
- prevent you from being in education or employment
- limit your working hours
- take your pay
- refuse to let you claim benefits such as SASSA
- take children’s savings or birthday money to use for his own benefit
- refuse to let you access a bank account or tells you that all money is paid into his account and you don’t need a bank account
- deliberately fails to pay child maintenance
Restrict how you use money and the things that you own:
- control when and how money is spent
- dictate what you can buy and what you cannot buy
- make you ask for money or provide you with an small allowance
- not including you in family financial decisions
- not allowing you access to the family finances
- check your receipts or slips
- make you keep a spending diary and report to him how you spend the money
- make you justify every purchase made
- control the use of property, such as a cellphone or car
- insist all economic assets (eg savings, house) are in their name
- keep financial information secret
Exploit your economic situation:
- steal your money or property
- cause damage to your property
- refuse to contribute to household costs
- spend money needed for household items and bills on themselves
- misuse money in joint bank accounts
- insist all accounts, credit cards and loans are in your name and make you pay them
- build up debt in your name, sometimes without your knowledge
