More than a million girls and young women in the UK experienced economic abuse in the past year, new research suggests. One in three girls are estimated to experience it before reaching adulthood, according to the charity Surviving Economic Abuse.
What Is Economic Abuse?
Economic abuse involves controlling a current or ex-partner's finances. It can trap someone in a relationship or extend control after it ends. Tactics include hijacking income, restricting money use, damaging property, or running up debts without consent. Perpetrators may also control access to transport or technology needed for work.
Prevalence Among Young Women
Surviving Economic Abuse estimates one in six women in the UK have experienced economic abuse by a current or former partner. Research by Ipsos UK on behalf of the charity shows it is twice as prevalent among younger women and girls. In many cases, abuse starts within weeks: 17% of 16 to 18-year-olds said it began within the first month, compared to 8% of women aged 22 to 24.
One woman told the charity: 'Young people are encouraged to move in together, share finances and plan their futures, but very little is discussed about what happens when it all goes wrong. I think parents, schools and young people need to talk about economic abuse much more openly because it can start at such a young age.'
Key Findings from the Survey
Nearly a fifth of respondents (18%) said a current or former partner pressured them to give them money in the past year. A similar proportion were made to buy things they did not want, while 17% said the abuser deliberately damaged their belongings. One in ten (12%) experienced control over mobile payment accounts.
The abuse extends beyond finances: among the 36% of young women who experienced economic abuse, more than a quarter (27%) said the abuser prevented them from working, studying, or training – equivalent to 346,000 young women.
Call for Early Intervention
Sam Smethers, chief executive of Surviving Economic Abuse, said: 'Parents, teachers and education professionals need to recognise the warning signs early. Challenging harmful behaviours before they escalate could make a life-changing difference.'
The charity encourages families to use the 'spotting the signs challenge' on its website, an interactive tool to recognise economic abuse and signpost support. Durham University Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse, in partnership with Surviving Economic Abuse and Tender, has also produced the 'shifting the dial toolkit' to educate young people about economic abuse and promote respectful relationships.
Ipsos UK surveyed more than 1,900 women aged 16 to 24 across the UK in March.
