For the first time, the forms of financial abuse that 1.5 million Australian women have been subjected to by their former partners has been exposed.
New survey data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), reveals the most common form of financial abuse is ‘sabotaging’ behaviours.
Seventy-eight per cent of respondents reported their former partner had exhibited ‘sabotaginging’ behaviour, which includes damaging or destroying property, refusing to contribute to family expenses for basic and essential items, deliberately delaying property settlement post separation, and refusing to pay child support as ordered.
The ABS defines a ‘previous partner’ as someone the person lived with at some point in a married or de facto relationship, and from whom they are now separated, divorced or widowed. The data refers to the most recent economically abusive previous partner.
Financial exploitation is the next most common financial abuse tactic as 42 per cent of people said their partner had done things like forced them to deposit their income in their partner’s account, pressured them to sign financial documents, racked up debts in joint accounts, credit cards or other accounts. Have forced their partner to sell or sign over any of their assets.
A concerning 32 per cent of people have had their partner withhold child support payments from them as well, and 23 per cent have been subjected to coerced debt, meaning their partner racked up debt in their name using a credit card or other account.
Nineteen per cent of people reported being deprived of basic necessities like food, housing or sleep. And the same percentage experienced tactics that deliberately delayed financial settlement post separation from their partner.
In total, 16.3 per cent of Australian women have experienced economic abuse in intimate relationships, either by their former or current partners. This shows little improvement to the 15.7 per cent in 2012.
“As I wrestled with filing for bankruptcy, my ex-husband’s parting words rang in my head: “I will make you bankrupt, and you and the kids will live in housing commission”,” said *Clare, a woman who’s experienced financial abuse.
Clare separated from her ex-husband after enduring more than a decade of family violence. She prided herself on being financially savvy and secure, however, post separation, she discovered several thousands of dollars’ worth of debt had been accumulated in her name, day care fraud and had legal fees of more than $60,000 for financial settlement and family law.
Unable to obtain social housing, Clare and her children were left homeless.
“These unseen tactics perpetuate the harm women experience as a result of family and domestic violence, subject women to ongoing poverty and create lasting harms, not only for her, but also for children,” said Livia La Rocca, General Manager Safety & Resilience Programs, Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, in response to the alarming data.
“It is nigh impossible for women to leave an abusive situation when they have no money, no assets or no safe home to go to.”
Good Shepherd, Australia’s oldest charity working to support women and girls experiencing abuse and disadvantage, has program data that reflects ABS’s recent findings.
More than 80 per cent of victim-survivors of domestic violence in Good Shepherd programs have also experienced economic abuse. And 67 per cent of women who stay in Good Shepherd refuges had no income when they arrived (52 per cent for family violence programs).
Speaking to the importance of ABSs’ data, Dr Jozica Kutin, Head of Research and Evaluation at Good Shepherd said: “This is the first time these issues have been measured at a population level, and the data shows the need for urgent systematic reform on multiple fronts.”
*Name changed