Domestic Abuse, Financial Harm, and the Gap Between Policy and Practice

By Samantha Avril-Andreassen

THE PROMISES

Across international conventions, domestic legislation, financial regulation, and safeguarding frameworks, the United Kingdom has repeatedly committed itself to:

• protecting victims of domestic abuse,

• recognising coercive control,

• preventing economic harm,

• safeguarding vulnerable individuals,

• and ensuring access to justice and support.

These commitments appear across:

• CEDAW,

• the Istanbul Convention,

• the Domestic Abuse Act 2021,

• FCA safeguarding expectations,

• the UK Finance Financial Abuse Code,

• equality legislation,

• and human rights frameworks.

Collectively, these frameworks acknowledge that domestic abuse is multidimensional and may involve:

• psychological harm,

• financial control,

• intimidation,

• housing instability,

• procedural coercion,

• and long-term economic deprivation.

THE IMPLEMENTATION GAP

Despite significant legal and policy development, many victim-survivors continue to report experiences of:

• inconsistent safeguarding,

• financial vulnerability,

• procedural exhaustion,

• limited access to representation,

• housing insecurity,

• and institutional fragmentation.

The central issue increasingly appears not to be whether protections exist, but whether they operate cohesively and effectively in practice.

DOMESTIC ABUSE AND FINANCIAL HARM

Financial abuse remains one of the least visible but most devastating forms of coercive control.

It may include:

• restriction of resources,

• debt coercion,

• interference with employment,

• economic dependency,

• credit damage,

• asset control,

• and financial intimidation.

Regulators, financial institutions, and safeguarding bodies increasingly recognise these harms formally.

However, survivors frequently report difficulty accessing meaningful financial recovery, protection, or institutional coordination.

FAMILY JUSTICE AND TRAUMA

Family justice systems operate within highly complex emotional, legal, and safeguarding environments.

Where domestic abuse allegations intersect with:

• housing,

• finance,

• children,

• litigation,

• and psychological vulnerability,

the need for trauma-informed participation protections becomes increasingly important.

Many survivors describe court processes themselves as emotionally overwhelming and procedurally difficult to navigate.

THE SAFECHAIN™ POSITION

SAFECHAIN™ argues that institutional fragmentation remains one of the central safeguarding failures of modern systems.

The framework proposes greater:

• interoperability,

• institutional communication,

• safeguarding continuity,

• participation integrity,

• and trauma-informed coordination between agencies.

Its core principle is simple:

Disconnected systems frequently produce disconnected outcomes.

“My pain became my gain.
They tried to bury me.
The system tried to erase me.
So I built a system that could never forget me.”
— Samantha Avril-Andreassen

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© 2026 Samantha Avril-Andreassen. All rights reserved.
SAFECHAIN™ is a conceptual safeguarding infrastructure and policy framework authored by Samantha Avril-Andreassen. Reproduction or implementation of this framework without permission is prohibited. Version 1.0.