A recent survey has revealed that almost one in five young men in the UK do not consider controlling another person's spending to be a form of abuse. The findings, published by the Home Office and Surviving Economic Abuse, highlight a significant gap in understanding around economic abuse, a legally recognised form of domestic abuse.
The Ipsos UK survey data indicates that men aged 18-24 are three times more likely than older men to fail to recognise financial control as abusive behaviour. Specifically, 19% of men in this age group stated that controlling how someone spends their money is 'probably not' or 'definitely not' abuse, a stark contrast to just 6% of men aged 45-54. A similar proportion of young men also did not recognise controlling access to a personal bank account as abuse.
In response to these findings, the government's 'Enough' campaign has joined forces with several major UK banks, including Monzo, TSB, Metro Bank, Santander, Revolut, and HSBC. This partnership aims to increase public recognition of economic abuse and encourage self-reflection among those perpetrating such behaviours. Campaign adverts will be displayed in banking apps and some physical branches, outlining four key forms of economic abuse: restricting earning ability, running up debts in another's name, controlling money, and misusing payment references for harassment.
Economic abuse is a criminal offence under the controlling or coercive behaviour legislation. It involves a domestic abuser controlling a current or former partner's money and other economic resources, such as housing, phone access, employment, food, or clothing. This hidden form of control can trap individuals in dangerous situations, strip away their independence, devastate families, and undermine financial stability.
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Natalie Fleet, emphasised the devastating impact of economic abuse, stating that it 'may not always be visible and doesn’t always leave bruises, but its impact can be just as devastating, isolating victims and controlling every aspect of their lives.' She stressed that controlling someone’s money, work, or independence 'is abuse. Plain and simple and it must not be dismissed or normalised.'
Beyond the awareness campaign, banks are also deploying new technology to detect and prevent abusive messages sent through payment references during online money transfers. This initiative aims to halt harm as it occurs and send a clear message that such behaviour is unacceptable. The partnership follows a Treasury roundtable discussion that brought together government officials, economic abuse experts, and industry leaders to develop effective strategies against this crime.