Editors note: This week’s Alliance Community Task Force: Creating Opportunity has a guest writer, Jen Ponce from the DOVES program. Domestic violence isn’t limited by race, gender, or income. It’s a widespread issue that can affect anyone, yet the experience of abuse is different for survivors who live in poverty.
When financial resources are scarce, the barriers to leaving an abusive relationship can feel insurmountable. Poverty doesn’t cause domestic violence, but it can amplify it, creating a cycle where survivors are forced to choose between violence and destitution. Research shows that financial strain is a significant factor in domestic violence, with families experiencing poverty facing a 9.
5% rate of domestic abuse compared to 2.5% among those not facing financial hardship. This isn’t because poverty causes violence—it’s because abusers often exploit economic hardship to control their victims.
Financial abuse is a common tactic: survivors report that 99% of abusers take control of household finances, restrict their access to money, or prevent them from working. This leaves survivors trapped, unable to leave without facing homelessness or worse poverty, especially if they have children. The stress of living paycheck to paycheck can escalate anger and conflict in a household.
The constant pressure of not having enough can fuel arguments and worsen an abuser’s controlling behaviors. Poverty doesn’t create violence, but it can heighten the volatility of .