Society for Social Work and Research 19th Annual Conference: The Social and Behavioral Importance of Increased Longevity

January 14 - 18, 2015

Economic empowerment and financial well-being are relatively new areas of focus in the field of intimate partner violence (IPV).  IPV survivors often experience economic abuse that has a long term impact on their financial well-being and ability to achieve financial independence from an abusive partner.  Although research suggests that these programs may prove useful in aiding survivors to rebuild their financial foundation, a focus on economic empowerment has yet to be fully incorporated into agency services for survivors.  There is also a lack of rigorous evaluation of the implementation and impact of existing economic empowerment programming tailored to meet the specific needs of this population.

Three papers are included in this symposium, each of which addresses a different yet complementary aspect of the implementation and evaluation of an economic empowerment curriculum designed specifically for survivors of IPV.  Methods utilized by the researchers include both qualitative and quantitative analyses.  Study samples for analyses include cross-sectional and longitudinal samples of survivors of IPV who participated in the evaluation of the curriculum, as well as advocates who were responsible for implementing the curriculum as part of this evaluation.

The first paper examines the role of frontline advocates in implementing the economic empowerment curriculum designed for survivors of intimate partner violence.  Findings span themes related to the strengths, limitations and areas for improvement of both the curriculum and its implementation, as well as recommendations for integration of the curriculum into community-based programs and the impact of the curriculum on the advocates themselves. The second paper presents an impact evaluation based on a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the curriculum examined in the first paper.  Findings based on repeated measures ANOVA indicate a strong effect of the curriculum on self-reported financial knowledge, financial intentions, financial behaviors and financial stress.  The third paper examines the measurement of the construct of economic-self-efficacy as a key outcome for survivors of IPV who have experienced economic abuse and are rebuilding their financial foundation.  Findings show that the Economic Self-Efficacy Scale serves as an appropriate tool for use in practice and research in the IPV field, and has potential for application in broader contexts related to economic empowerment.

The proposed symposium begins to fill a gap in our understanding of the efficacy and applicability of economic empowerment programs designed specifically for survivors of IPV.  The symposium provides multiple perspectives regarding the implementation and impact of such programs.  The discussion will focus on both practice and policy implications of study results.