What is financial abuse, how to spot it and help

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. While relationship abuse can take many forms, the most prevalent is financial control and abuse, according to The Allstate Foundation.

Sharisse Kimbro, the Foundation's relationship abuse program manager, said that nearly all domestic violence victims experience some level of control over their finances. Typically, abusers often intend to make their victim dependent on them, according to research published in the journal BMC Public Health.

"Financial abuse happens when one person tries to control, limit or restrict another person's ability to use, acquire or accumulate financial resources," she said. "It can include impacting someone's ability to get or maintain a job ... taking out a credit card in someone's name without their knowledge, excessively monitoring spending, placing someone on an allowance without their consent, or withholding access to other resources."

A lack of money is also a barrier for many victims who would otherwise seek help. A 2020 survey of survivors reported that those experiencing domestic violence had $1,280 (approx. $1,607 in 2025) stolen from them monthly by their partner.

According to Kimbro, the average survivor typically only has around $175.50 in available cash.

"You can imagine trying to get or stay safe, and you only have less than $200 to do so you really wouldn't get very far," she said. "So programs that provide direct cash assistance are really critical to survivors, and there's national organizations that provide those as well as state and local organizations that provide direct cash assistance."

The best way to find those resources is via the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Kimbro noted that the Allstate Corporation's charitable foundation has worked for 20 years to "disrupt the cycle and reduce the prevalence of relationship abuse."

"We've invested over $100 million in national organizations across the country to address this issue, and for anyone who may be experiencing it right now, or if you know someone who is, I would just want to say that help and hope is available," she said.

For those who are worried about a friend or family member, Kimbro recommended watching out for loved ones exhibiting fear around money.

"Someone may ask or comment about asking someone for permission to use resources, in a way that seems a little bit disproportionate or unusual," she said. "These things are early signs that folks can look out for, and lead to some more compassionate inquiry around what is really going on."

The financial impact of intimate partner violence extends far beyond individuals and indirectly effects all Americans. Annually, it costs the U.S. economy more than $8.3 billion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 2018 study found that the combined economic burden of all victims is around $3.6 trillion.