| Economic abuse is part of the pattern of behaviors used by abusive men to maintain power and control over their partners. The economic abuse women experience could negatively affect their economic, physical and psychological health and safety. As there currently exists no measure of economic abuse specifically, the purpose of the present study was to develop such an instrument. To that end, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 103 female survivors of intimate partner abuse. The initial version of the Scale of Economic Abuse (SEA) contained 120 items, generated based on the expert knowledge and experience of domestic abuse researchers, advocates and survivors and from a review of the literature. Participants responded to the SEA and measures of physical and psychological abuse, and economic health in order to examine the validity of the new scale. Factor analysis was used to determine the factor structure of the SEA, and correlation and regression analyses were used to assess reliability and validity. The findings of this study provide initial evidence of the reliability and validity of the SEA as an instrument to measure economic abuse as a distinct form of abuse. The SEA is an important first step toward a better understanding of the ways in which economic abuse impacts women's lives. The knowledge gained from such research can be used to design interventions that meet the unique needs of women harmed by an economically abusive partner. |
