Economic Violence: Having No Control Over Your Financial Resources

  “Hello there! I’m here to provide you with a bit of information on what economic violence, its various facets, and the Indian laws relevant to this abuse. What you, as a survivor, are experiencing post confronting a traumatic experience is normal. What you, as a bystander, are going through while supporting a survivor is absolutely okay and typical too!  If you need additional resources or just someone to talk to, feel free to reach out to The Neeti Project."

Written by: Arya Sambaragimath

What is IPV?

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is used to describe all types of violence within an intimate relationship between two individuals.

What is Economic Violence? 

Economic violence can be defined to cover numerous types of instances where abusers interfere with their partner’s ability to generate, spend, or save economic resources.

Economic violence is one among several other types of violence under the blanket term Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Though this type of violence has gained attention over the past few years, it remains under researched and to a large extent is left out of conversations regarding Gender Based Violence (GBV). 

What Does Economic Resources Mean?

 It becomes important to comprehend the term “economic resources”, as it takes a central role in defining the concept of economic violence. Economic resources in this context refers to assets with monetary and economic value to an individual. These resources can take numerous forms, including cash, land, income, savings.

What are the Types of Economic Violence? 

Most academic sources classify economic violence into three subcategories to cover the broad range of types and situations (Postmus et al., 2015; McKay White & Fjellner, 2022) . The subcategories have been listed below.

1. Inhibiting Acquisition of Resources: 

This type of economic violence usually involves one member of the relationship preventing the other from acquiring resources to make them financially independent or inhibiting them from being able to acquire an income of their own (Postmus et al., 2015). This form of violence is especially significant in rural and semi-urban Indian households, where women are actively prohibited from seeking employment and are made to take care of the household. Employed women are looked down upon within these communities. An extension of this type of violence is when a partner discourages the other from developing skills and participating in self-improvement activities which would likely increase their ability to gain higher incomes or employment. Denying a partner education or training also falls under this category

2. Preventing The Use of Economic Resources: 

This form of violence usually involves restraining partners’ ability to spend income and economic resources already available to them. The most common example of this is where there exist strict limits on an individual’s spending, and money is provided to the individual solely for necessities and functioning of the household. There is also close monitoring of how the individual spends their resources and their financial freedom is restricted

3. Worsening the Economic Position of a Partner:

A partner may also abuse the other by worsening their already existing economic assets. Examples of this is stealing of a partner’s money or resources, using a partner's economic resources without their consent or despite them not allowing the other to do so. It also involves worsening a partner’s credit score by forcing them into debt.

Defining The Borders and Boundaries of Economic Violence: 

• Economic violence differs from intimate relationships where financial decision making is done by a single partner. A significant number of intimate relationships involve a single partner handling economic resources and making most financial decisions, this need not necessarily come under economic violence. 
• A crucial difference between these instances and economic violence is control and consent (Huang et al., 2013). 
• In situations of economic violence, the abuser deliberately prohibits their partner from accessing, or controlling their finances. 
• The abuser also intends maltreatment and uses force to control their partner’s economic resources using any of the three forms listed above. 
• Additionally, in cases of economic violence there exists no mutual agreement or informed consent between the partners for one of them to control the other’s economic and financial resources.

Economic Violence as a Complementary Form of Violence: 

• Economic violence is also commonly seen as a complementary form of violence. 
• It often becomes a method to ensure an individual is unable to exit the relationship. Individuals seeking to exit a relationship due to other forms of abuse may be unable to do so, because they lack control over their economic resources. 
• Economic violence makes individuals in a relationship financially dependent on their abuser. For example, when abusers economically exploit their partners by influencing their partner’s credit scores, their partner’s ability to get financial support from external institutions is hindered, further deepening their reliance on their abuser for economic resources. 
• Employment sabotage also has similar effects, inhibiting individuals from gaining a steady flow of income to support them without their partner.

Economic Violence Across Income Levels:

• Like most other forms of GBV, economic violence is most common among people in vulnerable, and economically disadvantaged communities (Gorinas, 2018). However, it is not restricted to these communities. 
• Economic violence can also take place in households with high income and economic status. Though an individual may be living in comfort, economic violence is prevalent if they are unable to control their economic resources and are forced to live with a fixed amount of money and are not permitted to make independent decisions regarding expenditures, employment, income, and investments. 
• Economic violence amongst low-income individuals is likely to lead to worse short term as well as long term consequences, simply because they lack basic resources necessary for day-to-day survival

Dealing with economic violence can be particularly difficult for two primary reasons: 

1. Economic abuse receives little attention as a form of GBV. Most resources, funding and research are focused at physical, sexual, and psychological harm. Most countries have data on these types of violence, economic violence on the other hand is underreported and under researched. 
2. Researching and reporting on economic violence can be difficult due to the lack of empirical evidence present. Cases of economic abuse are not reported as often as other forms of GBV.

What are the Effects of Economic Violence?

1. Mental-Health Related: The stresses that are caused because of economic violence have been known to cause deteriorating mental health and onset of depression and anxiety. Women subject to abuse were six times likely to develop depressive disorders, stress related disorders, as well as dependence on substances (Fawole, 2008). 
2. Poverty: Another immediate consequence of economic abuse, especially in developing countries, is the threat of entering poverty. Individuals who leave abusive partners may have no employment, with little economic resources, skills or education and hence fall into poverty. This leads to further economic problems such as falling into the poverty trap and being unable to escape without external aid. 
3. Lead to various other forms of violence: Economic abuse also has the tendency to cause other forms of GBV; battery and assault of women is a common phenomenon in relationships that already have economic abuse. This is due to an atmosphere of tension, general nervousness, and frustration in households; abusers are more likely to engage in other forms of violence (Fawole, 2008).

How Can I Seek Help for Economic Violence? 

1. Identify it: The primary step in seeking help from economic violence is identifying its presence in a relationship. Multiple intimate relationships may develop to become abusive without an individual being aware. Relationships where abuse takes the form of the subcategories mentioned earlier are most likely cases of economic violence.
2. Indian laws Relevant to Economic Violence:  

• Economic violence remains punishable under the Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (P Vasanth Kumar / TNN / Mar 9). 
• Once an individual becomes aware that they are a victim of economic abuse they can seek help and take further judicial action.
•  An individual may approach a non-governmental support organization that can help with legal aid and counselling, as well as provision of other resources that a victim may require. These organizations can be contacted directly or by reaching out to a helpline. 
• Alternatively, an individual may seek the assistance of a protection officer who can also aid in legal matters and inform them regarding their rights. Individuals can also directly seek the help of the police. The Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act, 2005 also allows victims to claim monetary compensation under section 20.

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References

Adams, A. E., Sullivan, C. M., Bybee, D., & Greeson, M. R. (2008). Development of the scale of economic abuse. Violence Against Women, 14(5), 563–588. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801208315529

Fawole, O. I. (2008). Economic violence to women and girls. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 9(3), 167–177. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838008319255

Gorinas, C. (2018). A detailed analysis of childhood victimization using national registers: Forms and sequencing of violence and domestic abuse. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3153362

Huang, C.-C., Postmus, J. L., Vikse, J. H., & Wang, L.-R. (2013). Economic abuse, physical violence, and Union Formation. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(5), 780–786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.01.020

McKay White, R., & Fjellner, D. (2022). The prevalence of economic abuse among intimate partners in Alberta. SAGE Open, 12(1), 215824402210849. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221084999

P Vasanth Kumar / TNN / Mar 9, 2011. (n.d.). Economic violence is a crime too: Bengaluru News - Times of India. The Times of India. Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/economic-violence-is-a-crime-too/articleshow/7658605.cms

Postmus, J. L., Plummer, S.-B., & Stylianou, A. M. (2015). Measuring economic abuse in the lives of survivors. Violence Against Women, 22(6), 692–703. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801215610012

Sarma, N. (2022). Domestic violence and workfare: An evaluation of India’s MGNREGS. World Development, 149, 105688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105688