Platform 51

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Categories: money and debt, poverty, press releases
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Credit crunch reveals financial abuse

Survey of young women shows disturbing evidence

Disturbing evidence of young women being deprived of money by controlling partners has come to light in a recent survey on money and debt carried out by YWCA England & Wales. The charity fears this could accelerate if the economic crisis deepens.

YWCA wanted to find out how the current crisis was affecting girls and young women emotionally and practically. They was surprised to discover that one third of young women surveyed admitted that their partners had deployed methods such as forcing young women to hand over cash or credit cards, taking benefits or forcing them to sign financial contracts in their name.

Interestingly, despite these admissions, many young women did not want to acknowledge that this was financial abuse, a recognised form of domestic violence, in which someone deprives a partner of enough money to meet basic needs through manipulation and control.

Gabriella was with her partner for nine months and now recognises those patterns:

"My boyfriend constantly asked me for money, which he spent on booze, and I'd have no money for myself. When I told him I didn't have any money left he called me a liar and checked my bank statements. He insulted me until my self-esteem was at rock bottom. I got help from my local YWCA and have built up my confidence since then but I think loads more women out there should be aware that this kind of behaviour counts as abuse and is unacceptable."

YWCA is already running programmes to help young women understand more about money management. It is working closely with charity Refuge, which this week published its own report on financial abuse, to raise awareness about it. It is concerned that, like many forms of abuse, it is largely misunderstood and hidden.

YWCA wants: tackling financial abuse to become part of the National Action Plan on domestic violence; improved financial assistance to women experiencing domestic violence and economic abuse; improved data collection to better reflect the crime itself, by both the police and through the British Crime Survey plus investment in further research; young women and men to receive education on financial abuse as part of their PSHE education on both money and relationships; and professionals such as youth workers, social workers, teachers and doctors to receive training and information so they can identify and support young women at risk of, and experiencing, financial abuse.

YWCA's director of policy said: "What's particularly concerning is that most young women in this kind of situation don't even realise they are being abused. Financial abuse doesn't necessarily involve violence; it is a damaging form of manipulation and control. Our worry is that when a partner feels weakened or diminished at times when money is tight, it could only lead to an escalation of the problem."

For more information read our briefings and information sheets on financial abuse, money and debt.