- 19-Apr-2025
- Healthcare and Medical Malpractice
Economic abuse is increasingly recognized as a form of domestic violence in both national and international legal frameworks. While physical violence has historically been the primary focus of domestic violence laws, economic abuse—which involves the control, manipulation, or restriction of a victim’s financial resources—has gained more attention in recent years. It is now considered a significant part of domestic violence due to its profound impact on a victim’s ability to escape an abusive situation and maintain financial independence.
Economic abuse refers to tactics used by an abuser to control or manipulate their partner's financial resources, preventing them from having access to money or economic independence. This can take various forms, including:
Domestic Violence Laws and Economic Abuse: Many countries and jurisdictions now recognize economic abuse as part of domestic violence laws. These laws may include specific provisions for financial control and provide protections for victims experiencing economic manipulation or exploitation. These protections might vary by jurisdiction, but many modern domestic violence laws are evolving to explicitly include economic abuse within the definition of domestic violence.
In the United States, laws like the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) recognize financial abuse as part of domestic violence. Some states have passed laws that specifically address economic abuse, including provisions that make it a criminal act or allow victims to seek financial restitution.
In India, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) (2005) explicitly includes economic abuse as a form of violence. Section 3 of the Act lists various forms of abuse, including economic abuse, which is described as preventing the victim from having access to money, property, or resources that are required for maintaining their standard of living.
Economic abuse is considered a form of coercion and manipulation that can seriously undermine a person’s autonomy and well-being. Laws aimed at domestic violence increasingly recognize that financial dependence on an abuser can make it difficult for the victim to leave the relationship or seek help.
The legal framework may allow for restitution or compensation to victims for the financial harm they suffered, such as the inability to earn a living or the destruction of property and assets. In some jurisdictions, courts may also order the abuser to pay financial support or compensation for damages caused by their economic control.
In many jurisdictions, protection orders or restraining orders can include provisions that specifically address economic abuse. For example, a court order may prevent an abuser from interfering with the victim’s finances, prohibit the abuser from accessing or using the victim’s bank accounts, and mandate that the abuser provide financial support to the victim if applicable.
Laws may allow victims to regain control over their financial resources by reversing financial decisions made by the abuser, such as debts incurred in the victim’s name or accounts that were closed without the victim’s consent.
In cases where the victim is married or in a long-term partnership, some legal systems provide for the separation of joint accounts or assets, ensuring that the victim is able to access and control their own finances after the relationship ends.
Victims of economic abuse may seek legal remedies such as financial restitution (e.g., compensation for stolen or misused assets), maintenance (in cases of financial dependence), and the return of property that was taken by the abuser.
Some jurisdictions may allow victims of economic abuse to claim damages under tort law, especially if the abuse involved unlawful acts like identity theft, fraud, or misappropriation of funds.
International human rights bodies, including the United Nations and European Union, recognize economic abuse as part of gender-based violence. Some countries have implemented laws that mirror international conventions on protecting victims of domestic violence, including provisions that tackle financial control and abuse.
Some legal systems also provide economic empowerment programs for victims of domestic violence. These may include:
Consider a case where a woman is in an abusive relationship where her partner prevents her from working, controls all her financial accounts, and forbids her from accessing any money, making it impossible for her to leave the relationship.
Under laws like the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) in India or the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the U.S., the victim can seek a protection order that includes provisions for her financial independence.
The court could order the abuser to return any property or money that was wrongfully taken, grant her access to a separate bank account, and require the abuser to pay financial support (maintenance) if she is financially dependent.
Additionally, the victim may be entitled to seek compensation for the financial losses incurred as a result of the abuse, such as lost wages or assets.
Economic abuse is increasingly being recognized as a form of domestic violence in modern legal systems. Many domestic violence laws now specifically address financial manipulation and control, providing legal remedies for victims. These provisions allow for protection orders, financial restitution, and other forms of relief to help victims regain economic independence and ensure that abusers are held accountable for their actions. As awareness of economic abuse grows, more legal frameworks are adapting to provide comprehensive protection to victims of this form of abuse.
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