USING MONEY AND FINANCES TO MANIPULATEMARY BETH BECKER-LAUTH, CRISIS RESOURCE ADVOCATE

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Poll: How would you describe your current knowledge level regarding financial abuse?

More about box breathingRead more about how diversity and Black Lives Matter intersects with domest ic violence work here

Overview of the next 90 minutes

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emailed to you after the presentation is complete.

Financially manipulative

behaviors

Warning signs

Lasting impact

COVID-19 Considerations

Financial safety

planning & resources

Financial empowerment

A legacy of advocacy

since 1972Mission:

Women’s Advocates walks with victim survivors and our

community to break the cycle of domestic

violence.

Learn more about our history here

Poll: Describe your role in the community

Follow the Getting to Know Women's

Advocates Blog Series

Watch our webinar on the impact of domestic violence on mental health

Definitions

Domestic Violence

An intentional and systematic patternof physical and psychological abuse, threats, intimidation, isolation or economic coercion used by one person to exert power and control over another person in the context of a dating, family or household relationship.

Sexual Violence

Any sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act, or unwanted sexual comments or acts to traffic, that are directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion by anyone, regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including at home and at work.

Source

Source

Learn More!Webinar on int imate partner violence

Webinar on family violence

Financial Abuse is one of many forms

of domestic violence

Verbal Emotional Using Children Culture Financial

Intellectual Pets & Property Power & Control Reproductive Spiritual

Physical/Stalking Psychological Sexual Social Digital

No form is worse than another. Multiple forms can be used in a day, in a lifetime, or just one.

Click on the link

in each box to learn more

Know Financial Abuse | Allstate Foundation

Video Link Poll: What do you currently associate with the term "financial abuse"?

Economic Abuse

When an abuser takes control of or limits access to shared or individual

assets or limits the current or future earning potential of the victim as a

strategy of power and control.

The abuser separates the victim from their own resources, rights and

choices, isolating the victim financially and creating a forced dependency

for the victim and other family members.

Economic abuse makes it harder for victims of abuse to leave the

relationship.

Source

Forms of Economic Abuse

Employment-Related Abuse

The abuser prevents a victim from earning money.

Preventing victim from attending a job

Demanding that the victim quits their job

Preventing the victim from looking for jobs or attending job interviews

Harassing the victim at work

Coerced DebtThe abuser forces non-consensual, credit-related transactions.

Applying for credit cards, loans, or opening accounts in a victim’s name without their knowledge or consent

Forcing the victim to obtain loans or sign financial documents

Use of threats to convince victims to make credit-related transactions

Refinancing a mortgage or car loan without a victim’s knowledge

Poll: Which of these forms of economic abuse have you encountered most often in your work?Source

More Forms of Economic Abuse

Deciding when or how the victim can access or use cash, bank accounts, or credit cards

Forcing a victim to give the abuser money, ATM cards, or credit cards

Demanding that the lease, mortgage, assets be in the abuser’s name

Using victim’s checkbook, ATM card, or credit cards without the victim’s knowledge

Limiting victim's access to benefits, such as EBT or Disability payments

Other forms of economic

abuse involve the

abuser preventing a victim

from accessing

existing funds.

Write in the Chat: What other examples of economic abuse have you encountered? Source

Did You Know?21-60% of victim-survivors

of domestic violence

lose their jobs due to

reasons stemming from

abuse.

Victim-survivors of

domestic violence lose

a total of 8 million days

of paid work each year.

94-99% of victim-survivors

of domestic violence

have also experienced

some form of economic

abuse.

Between 2005-2006,

130,000 stalking victims

were asked to leave

their jobs due to their

victimization.

Source

Financial Abuse:

Why It Matters

• Financial abuse prevents victim-survivors from leaving

• Financial instability prevents long-term safety and independence

• Interconnectedness of relationship abuse and landlord/rent crisis

• Racial considerations: forced lack of generational wealth in communities of color = smaller financial support network for BIPOC survivors

Source

Advocates: What Can We Do?

Lobby Your Reps...

• for affordable housing and lower rent

• for a higher minimum wage

• for increases

to government benefits/

coverage

Remove Barriers

• Consider micro-grants: give directly to survivors

• Partner with childcare programs

• Offer transportation to

job interviews

Educate

• Financial literacy for victim-survivors

• Financial safety planning

Financial

Safety Planning

Copies Keep copies of car and house keys, extra money, and emergency phone numbers in a safe place.

Compile Compile an emergency evacuation box with copies of your family’s important records and documents.

Keep Records

Keep your personal and financial records in a safe location. Leave copies with a trusted friend, relative, or in a bank safety deposit box to which your abuser does not have access.

Avoid Avoid using credit and debit cards that can enable an abuser track your whereabouts.

Seek Help First: seek help from a trained domestic v iolence advocate.

Financial

Safety Planning

BudgetI f you are considering leaving your abuser, calculate what it would cost you to live on your own, and consider starting to set aside your own money in a safe place.

InvestigateI f your partner controls the money, look for ways to find out more information about their income, financial property, real property, and debts.

CreditObtain a copy of your credit report, review the information, and report any fraud, disputed claims, or identity theft. You can obtain a free copy of your credit report every 12 months.

Inventory Take a financial inventory, listing assets and liabilities.

PrivacyI f you use the internet to research how to regain financial independence, make sure your browsing history is deleted or incognito.

Safety Planning (financial and otherwise)During COVID

COVID's effects on shelter intake/capacity

Information of the impact/considerations

of COVID here

COVID Specific Resources here

Safety Planning: Beyond Leaving

COVID-19 Specific Safety Planning

Emotional safety planning

Support systems- groups, friends

Self-care for staying

How to Use Safety Planning Resources

Safety Plans should be...

IndividualizedAddressing the fears/concerns of survivor

Realistic for survivor's situation, practical

Always open for revisions

Revisited frequently

Shared with one other person

Sample Procedure:

Identify a template

Ask survivor

Agency & choice

https://www.wadvocates.org/our-services/violence-prevention-education/safetyresources/Safety Planning for Deaf Survivors

Financial Empowerment

Trainings and Classes

ACT Economic Empowerment Program

Allstate Foundation: modules for survivors and advocates

Direct Giving

Mutual aid networks

Micro-grants/loans

Direct cash payments?

Financial Abuse-Specific Resources

Allstate Foundation

Center for Survivor Agency and Justice: Economic Abuse Resource Library

NNEDV Financial Abuse factsheet

The Hotline: "When Money Becomes a Form of Power and Control"

Comprehensive Safety Planning Goes Beyond Physical Safety

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Women's Advocates

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24-hour Crisis Line: 651-227-8284

Email: outreach@wadvocates.org to request a certificate of attendance

Mary Beth Becker-Lauth, Crisis Resource Advocate: resources@wadvocates.org

Register for September webinars here.

Resources Available https://www.wadvocates.org/our-services/violence-prevention-education/safetyresources/