Why Economic Abuse Is Used
Restrict the resources. Restrict the choices.
Access to economic resources affects where we live as well as our ability to buy food, obtain childcare, get to work, and meet everyday needs.
By restricting a woman's access to money or damaging her ability to generate and retain resources of her own, an abusive former partner can make independent choices increasingly difficult.
Financial pressure can restrict housing options, interfere with employment, make legal representation harder to afford or leave a woman dependent upon payments and resources her former partner continues to control.
This can allow control to continue after physical separation. Economic Abuse can continue or escalate after separation through finances, debts, property, child maintenance, employment or legal and financial systems.
The less you have access to,
the fewer choices you may be able to make independently.
The Impact
The impact extends far beyond money.
Financial Stability
Debt, depleted savings, damaged credit and difficulty meeting everyday costs can continue long after an individual tactic has ended.
Independence & Choice
Reduced access to money and resources can limit choices about housing, employment, transport, childcare, professional advice and the ability to establish an independent life.
Emotional & Mental Wellbeing
Economic Abuse has been associated with depression, anxiety, PTSD and psychological distress. The continual demands of dealing with financial problems can also consume time and mental capacity.
Long-term Security
Debt, damaged credit, disrupted employment and depleted resources can continue affecting housing, employment and financial opportunities after separation.
This is what makes Economic Abuse so damaging: a tactic directed at money can ultimately affect the resources, choices and stability a woman needs to rebuild an independent life.
How This Section Works
How Economic Abuse is carried out
Research into Economic Abuse has identified recurring tactics and actions that former partners can use to achieve particular objectives.
The information below draws on peer-reviewed research to show these behaviours in more detail. Tactics describe the strategies that may be used; actions show the specific ways those tactics can be carried out.
Roll over a tactic category below to see the actions used to achieve the objectives.
What Comes Next?
From recognition to response.
Recognising the tactics used against you is an important first step.
The next step is to explore the countermeasures that can help you respond. Countermeasures are the preventative and responsive actions that can be used to reduce the impact of a tactic or stop it from occurring.
General preventative and responsive actions that can help reduce the impact of any tactic.
An in-depth Guide covering Economic Abuse tactics and countermeasures in detail.