When Serena Williams speaks, it’s wise to listen. Whether Williams is fighting for equality on the tennis court or sharing the story of her traumatic childbirth and postpartum experience, the 23-time Grand Slam Champion—arguably the greatest living athlete of all time—is well known for her unapologetic advocacy. It’s no surprise that Williams has partnered with the Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse initiative for the third year in a row to raise awareness about financial abuse in relationships.
When asked why she signed on to be an ambassador for this cause, Williams cited the high prevalence of financial abuse in domestic violence. Although exact numbers are hard to come by, Purple Purse estimates that 99 percent of domestic violence involves some financially abusive behavior. “That was such an incredibly high number,” Williams tells SELF. “It is basically all cases [of domestic violence].”
Financial abuse is a pattern of monetary actions that are meant to control and intimidate a partner, according to Purple Purse. Those actions can include running up a partner’s credit score (which can make it difficult for them to do things like obtain housing), controlling their spending habits, and even deliberately sabotaging employment or educational opportunities.
“It’s really important to know the signs and educate yourself,” says Williams, who notes that she’s learned a great deal by meeting with financial abuse survivors and supporting a friend through an abusive situation. “If you see them trying to handle your accounts, or trying to decide where you should spend money, or asking you for receipts, these are really big signs and red flags.”
It’s also important to know that financial abuse often occurs alongside other forms of domestic violence. In a small 2018 study from the Institute of Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) that surveyed 164 people living in shelters across 11 states and Washington, D.C., 70 percent of survivors had dealt with at least five types of abuse, including financial, physical, sexual, and emotional, along with stalking.
With that said, financial abuse is often a major reason why people remain stuck in cycles of abuse. In that IWPR survey, 73 percent of respondents cited financial difficulties as a factor that drove them to either stay with their abusive partner or return to the relationship. “Financial reasons were the number one reason [survivors we surveyed] either hadn’t left or had to go back,” Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., acting co-president at IWPR, tells SELF.
These financial obstacles don’t just magically happen—they are deliberately perpetuated by abusers so that they can keep their partners in a dependent situation. Almost every aspect of physically removing yourself from a domestic violence situation requires money. Whether it’s buying a bus ticket out of town or trying to secure an apartment, a person’s financial autonomy directly impacts their ability to start a new life outside of an abuser’s grasp.
The more we speak out about patterns of abuse, the more we can create pathways for survivors to get the help they need. Being vocal about these topics really does matter when it comes to pushing for change. In a 2018 public opinion survey of 1,840 American adults over age 18 conducted by Purple Purse, 70 percent of respondents thought recent stories about harassment in the workplace could create a domino effect of sorts, prompting even more people to share their stories. The same could be true for financial abuse.
