ONE in three young women single parents are suffering “economic abuse”, such as being prevented by a partner or family member from having a job, a new study suggests.

The Young Women’s Trust and Surviving Economic Abuse said a survey of 2,000 young women found problems including the use of threats to influence their choice of employment or education, and having their benefits or wages taken away from them by someone they knew, to pay for food.

Experiences of abuse were often under-reported in surveys as young women may not want to disclose this or may not recognise their experiences as abuse, said the report.

Problems were higher for young women on the lowest or no pay, young black and mixed-ethnicity women, and young disabled women, said the report.

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Young women most commonly reporting economic abuse were those with children, affecting almost a third of single parents, said the Trust.

Esther Sample of the Young Women’s Trust said: “It is disturbing that so many young women are being affected by economic abuse.

“More support is needed for young women at risk of or experiencing economic abuse.

“There needs to be widespread awareness raising work in schools and colleges on economic abuse.”

Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs, founder of Surviving Economic Abuse said: “We know that the measures taken to respond to Covid-19 have increased the isolation of victim-survivors and created economic insecurity.

“Abusers have taken advantage of opportunities to take economic control, including through sabotaging young women’s education and employment, taking control of benefits and non-payment of child maintenance.”