The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Low-Income Women’s Economic Well-Being

Abstract

This study sought to extend our understanding of the mechanisms by which intimate partner violence (IPV) harms women economically. We examined the mediating role of job instability on the IPV–economic well-being relationship among 503 welfare recipients. IPV had significant negative effects on women’s job stability and economic well-being. Job stability was at least partly responsible for the deleterious economic consequences of IPV, and the effects lasted up to three years after the IPV ended. This study demonstrates the need for services and policies that address barriers to employment as a means of improving the economic well-being of low-income women with abusive partners.