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Barriers to Safety

Individuals leaving abusive relationships are often confronted with barriers that jeopardize their autonomy and safety.

Lack of Resources

Employment, housing, transportation, and child care needs are some of the issues impacting an individual's ability to safely leave an abusive relationship. Financial abuse during and/or after the relationship may also present challenges to a survivor's ability to obtain credit, open a bank account, apply for benefits, or obtain access to marital assets. Additional barriers may include:

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  • the abusive partner having control of joint finances, important legal documentation

  • the abusive person ruining the survivor's credit score

  • lack of access to shelters or safe housing alternatives

  • the abusive person's refusal to pay child support or alimony

  • the inability to pay for legal assistance

  • limited or no access to the internet, cell phone service, or computers

" At the time I wondered, if I leave where am I going to go." 
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"I've been in court more times than I can count, but it was the only way for me to survive."

Court System

While access to the legal system can play an important part in helping an individual maintain safety after separation, protracted litigation creates an opportunity for continued victimization (Douglas, 2018). Ways in which the court can be used to help an abuser maintain coercive control include:

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  • filing frivolous court cases

  • requesting multiple continuations of legal proceedings

  • making false allegations of child abuse

  • frequently changing attorneys

  • ignoring or refusing to comply with court orders

  • making court allegations of abuse

Intersectionality

IPV affects individuals from all backgrounds and cultures.  However, not all individuals are equally impacted by the abuse. A person's positionally may affect their experience after separation. Some of the factors to consider when examining barriers to safety include:

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  • age

  • ability

  • ethnicity

  • education

  • employment history

  • gender identity

  • race

  • religion

  • language(s) spoken in the home

  • family supports

  • number of children

  • immigration status

  • social status

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"It was so difficult. Every day it was about reminding yourself, I'm a person, I'm somebody's daughter, somebody's mother."
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"He tried to use the kids as a means against me."

Co-parenting

Abusive parents often use children as a means to maintain power and control after separation. Joint-custody arrangements can serve as court approved mandates requiring survivors to continue contact, with the person who abused them. Refusing to co-parent or facilitating visits with the abusive parent may be deemed, by some courts, as obstruction of the court process or a violations of the abuser's parental rights (Zeoli et.al, 2013). which raise concerns during co-parenting include:

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  • concealing tracking devices in the children's belongings

  • refusing to allow the children to contact the other parent

  • questioning the children about the other parent

  • refusing to return the children at court appointed times

  • showing up unannounced to "check on the children"

  • repeated asking police to perform "welfare checks" on the children

  • frequent calls or texts unrelated to the children

  • refusing to pay for child related expenses

  • "bad-mouthing" the other parent to school officials or daycare staff

  • threatening to abduct the children

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