Victims of Domestic Violence Also Battling Financial Abuse
By: Michael Pickett
Updated: January 19, 2013
Victims of domestic violence not only deal with physical and mental stress, they also deal with financial stress.
The National Network to End Domestic Violence says up to 98% of all domestic violence victims also experience financial abuse. Types of abuse include emptied bank accounts, blocked access to joint accounts, and ruined credit scores. Betty is a domestic violence survivor. She says her credit score was ruined, which has hurt her ability to find a home for her and her three children.
"We can't rent anything," she says. "So, I'm back in a situation where I can't find anything unless I find a private landlord that don't care about the evaluation, or things that others are saying."
But there is help for them. Fifth Third Bank hosts Economic Empowerment Sessions for victims of domestic violence. They help survivors build skills so they can get out of abusive relationships. A session was held this morning at the YWCA in Evansville. Jamie Wicks of Fifth Third says the bank's been hosting them for more than a year. She also says if one person is helped by them, then the program is a success.
The National Network to End Domestic Violence says up to 98% of all domestic violence victims also experience financial abuse. Types of abuse include emptied bank accounts, blocked access to joint accounts, and ruined credit scores. Betty is a domestic violence survivor. She says her credit score was ruined, which has hurt her ability to find a home for her and her three children.
"We can't rent anything," she says. "So, I'm back in a situation where I can't find anything unless I find a private landlord that don't care about the evaluation, or things that others are saying."
But there is help for them. Fifth Third Bank hosts Economic Empowerment Sessions for victims of domestic violence. They help survivors build skills so they can get out of abusive relationships. A session was held this morning at the YWCA in Evansville. Jamie Wicks of Fifth Third says the bank's been hosting them for more than a year. She also says if one person is helped by them, then the program is a success.
