Which of the following best defines financial abuse within dating violence?

• A. Forcing someone into physical fights
• B. Controlling finances, making the person pay, or limiting employment
• C. Isolating the person from friends
• D. Spreading rumors about the person

Answer: (B)

Financial abuse in dating violence centers on using money and economic power to control someone. The best definition here is when one person controls finances, makes the other pay, or limits the other’s ability to work or earn, because this directly targets the partner’s economic independence and true autonomy. It can include taking or hiding money, dictating how money is spent, banning or restricting employment, or forcing the partner to cover costs regardless of their own needs. This kind of control keeps someone dependent and trapped, even without physical harm.

Other options describe different forms of abuse that can occur in dating relationships, but they aren’t about financial control. Forcing someone into physical fights is physical violence, isolating someone from friends is social or relational isolation, and spreading rumors is verbal or relational harm. They may happen alongside financial abuse, but they don’t define it.