DOI: 10.3886/icpsr37947
title: Testing and Validating Financial Measures with Intimate Partner Violence Survivors, New Jersey, New York, and Puerto Rico, 2018-2020
title: Archival Version

description: Economic empowerment is a promising intervention to address intimate partner violence (IPV). Recently, financial education programs have been developed and tested with survivors of IPV. However, only a few rigorous evaluations of economic empowerment interventions exist with survivors of IPV in the U.S., and none assess the language and cultural differences among Spanish-speaking survivors. This study tested and validated measures related to financial empowerment and partner violence with English and Spanish-speaking IPV survivors to address this gap. The specific objectives of the project were to: (1) Test and revise financial and abuse scales which were pre-existing or adapted from scales used in the general population for use with IPV survivors in both English and Spanish utilizing a secondary dataset, and (2) Further test and validate measures analyzed as part of Objective One with a similar sample of IPV survivors in both English and Spanish to determine if these scales are appropriate for use with IPV populations. This study was conducted in two phases to address each of its objectives. The first objective was completed during Phase I, and the second objective during Phase II. Data for Phase II was gathered through individual interviews, either face-to-face or over the phone. Interviewers used a structured questionnaire, with the nine financial and abuse scales, in the participant's preferred language, English or Spanish. These nine scales were: Financial Knowledge Scale - to determine survivors' knowledge about financial management. Financial Management Attitudes Scale - to determine survivors' attitudes about financial management. Scale of Economic Self-Efficacy - to determine survivors' confidence in their financial management abilities. Scale of Financial Behaviors - to determine survivors' actual financial management behaviors. Scale of Financial Intentions - to determine survivors' intentions to perform particular financial behaviors. Scale of Economic Self-Sufficiency - to determine survivors' abilities to accomplish financial tasks. Financial Strain Survey - to determine survivors' strain in managing their financial health. Abusive Behavior Inventory - to determine survivors' experiences with physical, emotional, and sexual violence. Scale of Economic Abuse-12 - to determine survivors' experiences with economic abuse. In addition, the questionnaire gathered demographic information including: age, ethnicity, employment status, education level, marital status, and annual income.
description: Economic empowerment, a collaborative process aimed at increasing one's financial self-sufficiency, is a promising intervention to address intimate partner violence (IPV). Those experiencing IPV are often faced with financial burdens and are often economically dependent on their abusers, making them less likely to leave the abusive relationship, finalize restraining orders or prosecute. Recently, financial education programs have been developed and tested with survivors of IPV. However, only a few rigorous evaluations of economic empowerment interventions exist with survivors of IPV in the U.S., and none assess the language and cultural differences among Spanish-speaking survivors. This study tested and validated measures related to financial empowerment and partner violence with English and Spanish-speaking IPV survivors to address this gap.
description: Participants were recruited from domestic violence organizations across New Jersey, New York, and Puerto Rico. Recruitment took place from November 2018 to January 2020. IPV survivors were invited to participate in a one-time interview using a range of outreach measures, including flyers posted at the participating organization, announcements made at group sessions, and case managers informing individual clients of the study. Interviews were conducted either face-to-face or over the phone at a time most convenient for the participant. A structured questionnaire in the participant's preferred language, English or Spanish, was used. Interviews lasted approximately one hour.
description: Variables in this study are broadly separated into several categories that correspond to sections in the survey (available in the PI codebook): economic self-efficacy, economic self-sufficiency, financial literacy, financial strain, financial attitudes, financial behaviors, financial intentions, financial abuse, intimate partner violence, and demographic data.
description: Not applicable
description: Response Rates: A total of 425 women were interviewed as part of the study, 5 surveys were removed as respondents had not experienced intimate partner violence in the preceding 12 months and 3 surveys were removed due to incomplete data. The final analytical sample was 417 women, for a response rate of 98.11%.
description: Presence of Common Scales: Financial Knowledge Scale (Postmus and Plummer, 2010) Financial Management Attitudes Scale (Parrotta and Johnson, 1998) Scale of Economic Self-Efficacy (Hoge, Stylianou, Hetling, and Postmus, 2017) Scale of Financial Behaviors (Postmus, Plummer, and Stylianou, 2016) Scale of Financial Intentions (Postmus, Plummer, and Stylianou, 2016) Scale of Economic Self-Sufficiency (Hetling, Hoge, and Postmus, 2016) Financial Strain Survey (Aldana and Liljenquist, 1998) Abusive Behavior Inventory (Shepard and Campbell, 1992) Scale of Economic Abuse-12 (Postmus, Plummer, and Stylianou, 2016)
description: Using convenience sampling, the total analytical sample for Phase II consisted of 417 interviews; 209 in English and 208 in Spanish.
description: Datasets: DS1: Testing and Validating Financial Measures with Intimate Partner Violence Survivors, New Jersey, New York, and Puerto Rico, 2018-2020
description: Women over the age of 18 who have experienced intimate partner violence in the past 12 months. Smallest Geographic Unit: state
description: face-to-face interview; telephone interview