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A fifth of young men do not consider controlling a partner's spending to be abusive behaviour, according to new research published by the Home Office and Surviving Economic Abuse, prompting a new partnership between government and major banks to raise awareness of economic abuse.
The findings, based on research conducted by Ipsos UK, reveal significant gaps in understanding of economically abusive behaviour, particularly among younger men. The data shows that men aged 18 to 24 are three times more likely than older men to fail to recognise controlling how someone spends their money as a form of abuse.
According to the survey, 19% of men aged 18 to 24 said that controlling another person's spending was probably not or definitely not abuse, compared with 6% of men aged 45 to 54. A similar proportion of younger men did not recognise restricting access to a personal bank account as abusive behaviour, while 16% said taking out credit in another person's name without consent was not abuse, compared with 4% of men in the older age group.
The research has been published as part of a new phase of the government's Enough campaign, which seeks to challenge attitudes and behaviours linked to violence against women and girls. The initiative brings together government and a number of major banking providers, including HSBC UK, Santander UK, Monzo, TSB Bank, Metro Bank and Revolut.
As part of the campaign, customers will see information within banking applications and selected branches highlighting four forms of economic abuse: restricting a person's ability to earn an income, controlling access to money, accumulating debt in another person's name, and using payment references to harass or intimidate individuals.
Economic abuse is recognised as a form of domestic abuse and can constitute criminal behaviour under offences relating to controlling or coercive conduct. It can involve restricting access to financial resources, interfering with employment, controlling spending, accruing debt in another person's name, or limiting access to essential resources such as housing, food, communication or clothing.
The campaign is intended both to improve public understanding of economic abuse and to encourage perpetrators to recognise and change abusive behaviour.
While overall awareness of economic abuse was found to be relatively high, with 94% of men identifying at least one economically abusive behaviour as abuse, recognition of the full range of behaviours was lower. Only 58% of men and 65% of adults overall correctly identified all forms of economic abuse included in the survey.
Alongside the awareness campaign, participating banks are introducing measures to identify and prevent abusive messages being sent through payment references attached to online transfers. The initiative aims to prevent harassment occurring through banking platforms and forms part of wider efforts to improve responses to economic abuse.
The partnership follows a government roundtable involving ministers, financial institutions and specialist organisations focused on tackling economic abuse.
Natalie Fleet, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, said economic abuse can be as damaging as physical forms of abuse despite often being less visible. She said controlling a person's finances, employment or independence should be recognised as abuse and must not be normalised.
Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of Surviving Economic Abuse, described the findings as particularly concerning given evidence that young women experience the highest rates of economic abuse. She warned that attitudes towards financial control within relationships can influence perceptions of acceptable behaviour and highlighted the importance of education, awareness and early intervention.
The report also includes testimony from survivors who described the long-term impact of economic abuse. Former broadcaster Ruth Dodsworth recounted experiencing complete financial control during her marriage, while a young survivor identified as Gabby highlighted the need for greater education about economic abuse and improved support from financial institutions.
The campaign forms part of the government's wider strategy to reduce violence against women and girls, which includes the rollout of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, the implementation of Raneem's Law and continued public awareness initiatives aimed at challenging abusive behaviour and improving support for victims.
