“Opening the Perpetrator Black Box” Financial recovery and post-separation

Cathie Oddie Hesta DV Vic Moo Baluch DV NSW Nilmini Fernando WIRE Victoria Angela Lynch Women’s Legal Services Qld. Julie Kun CEO WIRE

NB Please contact researcher if you wish to reproduce or cite any of the information or figures in this presentation. They are based on interim findings and subject to copyright by WIRE. The forthcoming Teachable moments Research Report will be available in August 2018 [email protected]

#ANROWSconf2018 When is a good time to talk about money? Financial Teachable moments for Women affected by Family

Feminist action research methodology Participation Accountability 14 Focus groups (Victoria) n= 67 Non-discrimination Online Survey (National) n= 281 Empowerment Critical Intersectional Analysis Link to human rights

#ANROWSconf2018 Research Questions

AIM: Timely and appropriate financial Information, education, supports and services

When are financial ‘teachable moments” in family violence journey?

What issues are most relevant? At what stage?

Who should deliver? Where? How?

Which barriers and de-motivators? What are the enablers?

#ANROWSconf2018 Participant Profiles

Majority began abusive relationships over 10 years ago. (31%)

25.03 % 5-10 years ago 25 % 1-4 years ago 21 % Over 20 years ago

#ANROWSconf2018 MONEY WORRIES FINANCIAL BARRIERS

1. Healthcare 1. Not enough money coming in (75.68%) 2. Debts 2. Getting child support 3. Paying utilities 3. Debts 4. Food 4. Getting or keeping a job 5. Transport 5.Saving 6. Clothes 6. Unhelpful staff

ONLY 1 of 78 survey participants did not experience one or more forms of financial abuse

#ANROWSconf2018 Money Confidence before and after abusive relationship

Financial Confidence Levels Before/After Relationship Percentage of 281 respondents 90 Very confident levels reduced during 80 Not at all Confident 7.5 Not at all Confident 70 relationships, returned though may not reach 18.5 18.5 60 Not at all Confident Not at all Confident the same levels. 46.6 34.2 50 22.1 21.7 40 Not at all confident- went up returning to 30 17.1 14.6 double at pre-relationship. 21.7 20 Very Confident, 32.7 12.8 Very Confident, 24.6 10 6.8 Very Confident, 10 Not all women lost their financial confidence 0 Very Confident, 5.3 Before Relationship During Relationship After Relationship Now Very Confident Quite Confident Confident Enough Not at all Confident Complex circumstances need individual approach, not one size fits all.

#ANROWSconf2018 Unique and complex Impacts, Needs and Barriers experienced at Different Stages

Crisis separation financial Meet immediate needs - abuse Restore financial safety Post

Pre-crisis Early Intervention Post-Crisis /Early Target at risk Specialist Fin Cap Recovery programs Financial stability Identify red flags Prevent and Interrupt

Primary Long Term Prevention Recovery Justice Build stability Educate Inform Asset building Cortis and Bullen (2015) Plant seeds Super Corrie (2016) Gendered Drivers: Compound effects at all stages of recovery #ANROWSconf2018 #ANROWSconf2018 POST-CRISIS FOCUS Navigating multiple agencies

FAMILY COMMUNITY VIOLENCE WELFARE SERVICES HEALTHCAR ORGS E

CENTRELINK • Fragmented FV/Financial POLICE Services

CHILD COURTS PROTECTION • Siloed

• FAMILY LAWYERS Duplication FRIENDS VICTIM/SURVIVOR (& CHILDREN) • Information/service/ policy UTILITIES TELCOS gaps SCHOOLS

HOUSING CREDITORS LANDLORDS EMERGENCY

EMPLOYER BANKS SELF- EMPLOYED FINANCIAL TAX COUNSELLOR FAMILY SUPER BUSINESS S CONSUMER INSURANCE PROTECTION

#ANROWSconf2018 INTERSECTIONALITY: Put the woman at the center and look outward to see what interlocking powers are obstructing her agency

STRUCTURAL Silencing. Gender norms. POWER Top-down, “hard power” Sanctioned sexist myths & . The Law Attitudes/Beliefs Police Unconscious gender/race/class bias (esp. Courts legal and court professionals) CULTURAL Economic/Welfare policy Intersectional differences POWER Immigration The patriarchal “bro code” Religious beliefs DISCIPLINARY POWER “Soft power” Services/ Agencies “manage” Barriers: Psychological/ oppression. Emotional Can control and disempower Cognitive via bureaucracy and eligibility Geographic INTERPERSONAL criteria. Cultural POWER/AGENCY Are themselves controlled and Time poverty regulated Education Research priorities dictate funding

Model based on Hill Collins (2000) Matrix of Domination developed by N Fernando (2016, 2018). Subject to copyright. #ANROWSconf2018 Please do not reproduce without permission from the author. When are good times to talk about money?

At all stages of their journeys offer financial teachable moments

#ANROWSconf2018 Best way? Best Place?

BEST WAY: All modes useful. Human, one-to-one sessions with support worker, online, money workshops with other women and dedicated financial support helpline.

A INTEGRATED SERVICE/INFO PACKAGE

Women do not anticipate the “devious” strategies. “An automatic “package” accessed straight telling them how to protect finances.

TARGETED INFORMATION : Dot points not brochures upon brochures

SANCTUARY A human panel, time and safe space to think and process at crisis stage

BEST PLACE: Family Violence services, online, bank, community service, Centrelink.

#ANROWSconf2018 #ANROWSconf2018 “I find it quite ironic you're asked in court whether there's financial abuse ...but I think the court actually is the financial The Perpetrator Black Box abuse”

Black Box • A complex system or process producing a particular set of results • internal functions secret, mysterious, not well-known, difficult to understand or presumed not to be necessary to understand • electronic flight recorder used post-disaster giving accurate testimony of what went on, what went wrong, whose error • A frustrating game on Iphone

Disastrous financial outcomes when survivors enter the nexus of DV court, family law, child protection and consumer law intersect - ripe for the deployment of post-separation tactics of financial and emotional abuse -prominent in post-crisis stages of early recovery

#ANROWSconf2018 The Bro Code AKA: The Patriarchy

Reported in data referring to individuals in Financial services, Legal services, Police, Judiciary, friends and family, gangs,etc.

Bro code versions are rife on the net. Here’s some choice examples!

• Anything a bro does in a drunken state is justified. Everything is forgiven for him. • You shall make excuses for him whenever required, for he shall do the same when the time comes. • All things must be forgiven among bros, with the exception being your drunk bro feels up your girlfriend. • Should a girl comment negatively upon the bro-mance, kindly explain to her that she will never know love from a man such as you and your bros share. • Chicks will dump you and play with your heart, but a bro will protect you like his own private parts. • You will always make excuses for a bros actions, no matter how obscene. • You must always have your bro’s back. No exceptions. • You must do all you can to save your bro from dating an ugly girl. • You just cannot get involved with your bro's mother or sister… THE biggest violations of the bro code. A step mother whom he hates is still okay

FINAL WORD: Re-victimization: A costly price survivors pay for lack of awareness, recognition, timely and empowering FINANCIAL SAFETY RESPONSES responses, at whatever stage of the journey that we encounter them.

#ANROWSconf2018 Selective Reference List

Adams AE, Sullivan CM, Bybee D & Greeson MR (2008), ‘Development of the Scale of Economic Abuse’ , Violence Against Women, (14 (:5), pp.563-588) Cameron, P (2014) Relationship Problems and Money: Women talk about financial abuse, Melbourne: WIRE Camilleri, O., Corrie, T., & Moore, S. (2015) Restoring financial safety: Legal responses to economic abuse, Melbourne: Good Shepherd and Wyndham Legal Service Collins, PH (2000 ) Black Feminist Thought, London: Routledge Corrie T. & Mc Guire M. (2014) Economic Abuse: Searching for Solutions. North Collingwood (AU ST): Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service and Kildonan Uniting Care Corrie, T (2016), Economic Security for Survivors of Domestic and Family Violence: Understanding and measuring the impacts, Melb: GSANZ Cortis, N. & Bullen, J. (2015), Landscapes: Building effective policies and services to promote women’s economic security following : State of knowledge paper, Sydney: ANROWS; Cortis, N & Bullen, J (2016) Domestic violence and women’s economic security: Building Australia’s capacity for prevention and redress: Key findings and future directions, Sydney : ANROWS, c2016. Chung, D, Zufferrey, C, Franzaway S, Moulding, N (2016), Intimate Partner Violence and Housing: Eroding Women’s Citizenship, Affilia 31(4). De Vaus, D., Gray, M., Qu, L., & Stanton, D. (2015) The economic consequences of divorce in six OECD countries. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies Fehlberg, B & Millward, C. (2014), “Family violence and financial outcomes after parental separation” in Hayes, A., & Higgins, D. (eds.) Families, policy and the law: Selected essays on contemporary issues for Australia, Australian Institute of Family Studies: Melbourne, pp. 235-44. Russell, R & Reid, M (2017) Economic abuse between intimate partners in Australia: Prevalence, health status, disability and financial stress. ANZ Journal of Public Health41, 269 – 274 MacDonald, F. & Landvogt, K. (2012) ‘Economic abuse and women's homelessness following domestic and family violence’, Parity Vol. 25, No. 6, pp 39-40 Postmus, J.L. (2010, October). Economic Empowerment of Domestic Violence Survivors. Harrisburg,A: VAWnet. Available at: http://www.vawnet.org Postmus, J. L., Plummer, S., McMahon, S., & Murshid, N. (2012). Understanding economic abuse in the lives of survivors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27, 411–430; DAME UK, Baron, Russell, R., Kutin, J., Green, R., Banks, M., & Di Iorio, A. (2016) Women and Money in Australia: Across the Generations. Melbourne: RMIT University. Sharp, N. (2008), ‘What’s Yours is Mine’: The Different forms of economic abuse and its impact on women and children experiencing domestic violence, West London: Refuge; Sharp-Jeffs, N (2015) A Review of Research and Policy on Financial Abuse within Intimate partner Relationships, London: London Metropolitan Unversity; Smallwood, E (2015), Stepping Stones: Legal barriers to economic equality after family violence, Melbourne: Women’s Legal Services State of Victoria, Royal Commission into Family Violence: Summary and recommendations, Paper No 132 (2014–16). See Recommendations 107-121, p 74-78. Sanders, S. (2015) Strong Beginnings: Financial Equals, Melbourne: WIRE; WIRE (2007) Women’s Financial Literacy Research Report, Melbourne: WIRE; WIRE (2010) Young Women & Money Research Report, Melbourne: WIRE Women’s Legal Service Victoria (2018) Small Claims Large Battles, Achieving economic equality in the family law system, Melb: WLS Targeted Financial Capability Programs for FV : Moving Ahead Through Financial Management program, USA, The Allstate Foundation (Postmus, 2015), DAME Toolkit, (UK), Citizens Information , Firmer Foundations (Australia) and Money Minded (Austr), Tools for Change, Australia (WHGNE 2012); Marsden, S. (2012) Understanding financial abuse in the context of family violence Training Program, Melbourne: WIRE; Purse Project1: Makepeace, S. (2016), Purse Project I Evaluation, Melbourne, Women Talk Money Website: Proud, G. (2016) Evaluation Report Women Talk Money, Melbourne: WIRE.; Purse Project 2: Training for FV Workers in Financial Abuse/Building Financial Capability Responses, Fernando, N ( 2018), WIRE LINKS: WIRE WEBSITE CBA FINANCIAL ABUSE GUIDE PENDA APP Financial Empowerment RESOURCES FOR DFV and FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT: https://www.wire.org.au/womens-financial-empowerment-and-resilience/ Contact Nilmini: [email protected] Julie Kun CEO WIRE [email protected] Prof. Donna Chung [email protected] Moo Baulch, CEO DV NSW [email protected]