One in five young men ‘don’t recognise the signs of dangerous form of abuse’

A person controlling how their partner spends their own money is a key sign of economic abuse (Picture: Getty Images)

Almost a fifth of young men in the UK do not see controlling a partner’s personal bank account as a form of abuse, a new poll has found.

The alarming survey, carried out for Surviving Economic Abuse and the TSB bank, asked men of different ages about six different signs of economic abuse.

It found 19% of 18 to 24-year-old men would not think the partner of a friend was being abusive if they controlled how the friend spent their own money – or if the partner controlled access to the friend’s bank account.

It was a sharp contrast from older men, with just 3% of 55 to 64-year-olds saying a partner controlling their friend’s bank account would not count as economic abuse.

Sam Smethers, CEO of Surviving Economic Abuse, said the results of the research were ‘deeply worrying’.

He said: ‘We need to be absolutely clear: controlling someone’s money and economic resources is abuse.

‘Whether it’s restricting how someone spends their money, forcing them into debt or making it difficult for them to work or study, these are tactics used by abusers to exert power and control.’

A new campaign is now being launched to raise awareness of the signs of economic abuse in banks both online and offline.

Customers of Monzo, TSB, Metro Bank, Santander, Revolut and HSBC will be among those who see adverts featuring snakes that highlight four ways people can be abused financially.

TV presenter and campaigner Ruth Dodsworth said: ‘In my marriage, money was used as a weapon of absolute control, reducing me to a state of total financial dependence where every penny spent required permission and proof.

‘My bank card vanished and was never replaced, and I even had to ask for money for my lunch, and only being given the exact amount in cash for a sandwich meal deal.

‘This forced financial control made it impossible to join friends for coffee or social gatherings, forcing me to constantly make up excuses and withdraw in shame.’

Natalie Fleet, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, said: ‘By working with banks on this important issue we are protecting victims and sending a clear message to perpetrators: this is not acceptable, and we will use the full power of the state to keep women and girls safe.’

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