Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence: Economic abuse and economic recovery of family violence victims

Economic abuse is a form of family violence that often occurs together with other forms of violence.

Research indicates that economic abuse is widespread, poorly understood and often unrecognised,
even by those who experience it.

Economic abuse can broadly be defined as a ‘form of family violence that negatively impacts a person
financially and undermines their efforts to become economically independent’. Economic abuse may
result in a victim of family violence being unable to leave a violent relationship, may cause a victim to
return to a violent relationship or may result in a victim becoming homeless or facing long-term
financial hardship.

Our submission identifies the systemic barriers faced by women experiencing economic abuse in the
context of relationship breakdown, both within and external to the legal system. Systemic barriers are
identified in relation to family violence intervention orders, police responses to family violence and
issues faced by victims of family violence in dealing with banks and utility providers.