A domestic abuse charity in Peterborough says economic abuse is on the rise
A new survey found around one in seven women have had their money and economic resources controlled by another person in the previous 12 months
A domestic abuse charity in Peterborough is urging people to learn the signs of economic abuse.
Around one in seven women have had their money and economic resources controlled by another person in the previous 12 months, a survey indicates.
It can be controlling income, spending, and bank accounts
42% did not speak to anyone, such as a family member or friend, about what they were going through, according to the report from charity Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA).
They also found many women do not know anything about economic abuse.
55% of women said they do not know anything about this form of domestic abuse and a third know "a little" about it.
Economic abuse is a dangerous and prevalent form of domestic abuse that takes many forms - including a current or ex-partner restricting access to money or bank accounts, damaging property or possessions, taking out loans or building up debt in a victim-survivor's name, SEA said.
Mandy Geraghty, from Peterborough Women's Aid, said:
"Economic abuse is something we see in most cases of abuse, and it tends to run alongside most cases of abuse, such as violence, intimidation, and threats."
"It can be controlling income, spending, and bank accounts."
"Sometimes economic abuse isn't visible to friends or family or even the victims."
"For example, if they're signing applications for credit cards or loans and not understanding what they're signing, and in some cases not having English as a first language."
Sometimes economic abuse isn't visible to friends or family or even the victims
The report, Counting The Cost: The Scale And Impact Of Economic Abuse In The UK, indicated women from ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled women and younger women aged 18 to 24 were particularly likely to say they had experienced at least one form of economic abuse.
Meanwhile, 28% of women with children in the household had experienced economic abuse, compared with 10% of UK women without children, the research indicated.
The report also found victim-survivors who had heard the term "economic abuse" and knew something about it were more likely to seek help.
Those who had heard the term economic abuse were also more likely to speak to a domestic abuse charity or a bank.