Which combination describes economic abuse in IPV?

• A. Encouraging independent financial planning
• B. Non-financial abuse only
• C. Controlling finances and restricting work
• D. Providing equal access to resources

Answer: (C)

Economic abuse centers on using money and access to finances as a means of control in a relationship. When an abuser controls finances and restricts a partner’s ability to work, they shape what the partner can earn, spend, or save, and they limit the partner’s autonomy to make money-related choices. This keeps the survivor financially dependent and trapped, making it harder to leave or resist abuse.

Controlling finances can include dictating how money is spent, monitoring or restricting access to bank accounts, hiding or taking money, or creating debt in the partner’s name. Restricting work involves preventing or sabotaging employment, forcing someone to quit, or otherwise blocking opportunities to earn income. Together, these tactics reduce financial independence and power the abuser holds in the relationship.

The other statements don’t fit because they describe healthy or non-financial dynamics. Encouraging independent financial planning would empower a person, not control them. Non-financial abuse alone omits the financial coercion that characterizes economic abuse. Providing equal access to resources is the opposite of abuse, representing an equitable arrangement.