Parallel WorldsUnderstanding financial abuse
Parallel worlds is a method that looks at a completely different system and environment to discover different ways and strategies we could use and reframe in the context of domestic and financial abuse. The two ‘worlds’ I looked into was ‘Germany post World War 1’ and the concept of Refugees trying to find themsleves in a foreign place.
Parallel 1 — Refugees
Language barriers and personal history can prevent a refugee getting a job due to discrimination or lack of skills.
Domestic Violence survivors are blocked from employment due to no or disrupted employment history, excessive absence or work environments that put them at risk.
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Services work with refugees to help identify skills and strengths.
Services like Fit for Work help identify skills that the DV survivor may possess or where they can be valuable in the workplace.
This helps them find employment or allow them the courage and knowledge to run their own business out of necessity.
With the survivor being legible for employment, they now have the opportunity to become financially independent and can look after themselves.
Most refugees come to new countries with little to no money after having faced the challenge of escaping for survival.
Domestic Survivors may leave their challenging relationship with little to no money.
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Government benefits exist with the objective to allow them, and all Australians, the chance to be self-sustainable, instead of receiving handouts.
Organisations aim to help those suffering and offer to assist the survivors by lending them money so that they can rebuild their lives.
This is to help them organise their life to help them get on track and settle in
With the help of other, the survivors can now afford a living and once they become financially independent, they will be able to repay the loan.
Some refugees coming to a new country may have held onto valuables and have a small amount of money to their name which they intend to keep safe in hope of sustaining themselves and their families.
There are cases where survivors had to give up all their money to their perpetrator, leaving them with access to little to no money.
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There are legal barriers to opening a bank account and accessing funds in a new country which makes it difficult for a refugee to settle in and start saving.
Survivors money may have been transferred to the perpetrators account, or survivor may not have access to joint accounts. They later get victimised and blamed that it was all their fault.
Case managers works with refugees to ensure they are accepted by financial institutions.
Survivors need to be portrayed differently and understood, with the help of counsellors and services, they should be able to financially included.
There is likely to be no to limited community to support refugee’s re-establishment in new country.
Domestic Violence Survivors may have alienated friends and family, leaving them with no immediate support network to rely on.
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While the refugee may feel isolated and alone, community based activities are created to help woman and members integrate and foster social engagement.
Being alone and isolated can cause them to fall into a state of depression and hopelessness. CBA’s aim is to help these survivors from this state and allow them the ability to start over.
Professional workshops, English language classes are made to help them get on their feet and be apart of a community.
By providing help to survivors in need, the survivors are able to feel apart of a community as people are willing to help them.
Challenges exist when learning to live in a new country.
Survivors often have limited knowledge of services to seek and limited capacity to handle finances and other administrative activities.
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Settlement services exist to build self-reliance.
Support services should exist to help teach, guide and counsel the survivor about financial literacy and wellbeing so that they are given assistance on how to rebuilt their lives on their own.
The support network allows refugees to become self reliant and a result of that is self sufficiency.
Being able to build the bridge on your own to a better life brings a sense of independence and accomplishment that the survivors should experience instead of being hand held the entire way to freedom.
Stress of resettlement can cause physical and mental ailments.
Many domestic violence survivors were emotionally abused by their perpetrator, destroying their confidence and self-esteem.
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There are a couple of programs such as the 9-week program, focusing on self-growth to improve self-esteem and confidence.
There is a lot of stress of re-establishing a new life, worrying about finances and fearing retaliation from the perpetrator is mentally and emotionally taxing and the survivor may not have the strength for it.
This allows the refugee to find their place in their new environment.
If the survivor does overcome these barriers of emotional de-stress, they open themselves to an entire world of opportunity where they can seek help, talk about their experience and be led on track to recovery.
Parallel 2 — Germany post World War 1
Germany faced an extreme economic decline post World War 1 and had little money to sustain the population.
In the case of financial abuse, a victim is likely to leave a relationship having little to no money due to the perpetrator controlling and exploiting their resources.
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Germany was hit with major reparation fees which made them fall further into an economic crisis as they didn’t have the funds to pay them, leaving the population depressed and unemployed because businesses couldn’t afford their staff.
This leaves the victim needing to pay off all the repayments but may be unable to for a number of reasons, largely unemployment due to coercion under the perpetrator or low income and compounding of debt/default.
In order to get the economy back on its feet, new jobs focused on skills and hard labour were created to encourage monetary flow so that Germany could pay off its debt.
The best way to help the victim to get back on their feet is to identify their skills and how to apply them to a professional practice so that they can earn an increased income.
When Germany introduced social spending, it only worked temporarily. Germany recognised that it needed to spend in order to get out of economic depression, but in order to get “the better life” it wanted, they needed a lot more money than what they possessed.
Once a financial abuse survivor leaves the perpetrator and is able to start over, they are confronted with the high costs of single living and wont have the funds to be able to sustain themselves.
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Germany approached America and asked for help in the form of a loan so that they could get out of their poor state and begin having money flow through its economy.
Allowing the survivor to have access to money not only builds trust and relationships with the lender but also gives them a sense of hope that they are not alone and are able to start over.
With the help of America’s loan, they were able to afford “a better life”. However after a while, America needed their money back as the Great Depression hit them, making it difficult for Germany to maintain their economy once again.
With the help of a loan, the survivor is able to get a head start into the life they want and once they are settled in, over time they will be able to make the funds to pay the loan back.
Post World War 1, Germany was left in a messy state of destruction, leaving them alone, hopeless and depressed. Everyone blamed them for the casualties and need to repair the mess they created.
Leaving a destructive and abusive partnership/marriage can often leave the victim feeling depressed, isolated, alone and hopeless.
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Hitler came along when all hope was lost and offered a future of hope and prosperity.
When anyone comes along and convinces them that they can help it gives the victim a sense of hope for the future.
Germany bought in to Hitler’s promise, creating a sense of community and hope for their future.
This builds a sense of community focused on purpose, with hope and trust as the victim now becomes aware that someone is willing to help them get back on their feet and lead them to a better life.
Germany took part in the war with other countries, creating destruction while also under the impression they were protecting their allies and themselves.
Destructive marriages and partnerships may be a cause of both parties or one sided, resulting in messy and problematic outcomes.
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Everyone then blamed Germany for all the damage, claiming it was all their fault.
Most people will often point fingers at the victim and claim it was their fault and that they either encouraged it, triggered it, or should have seen it coming and asked for it.
Forcing Germany to have to pay heavy fines for the damage that was created.
This leaves them in a vulnerable state where the load falls onto them to have to repay and fix the mess and problems that were made.
The German population was struggling economically to be able to afford goods and high rates of unemployment, which meant money wasn’t circulating, reflecting stagnation.
When a victim of financial or domestic abuse is able to identify the situation they’re in, they realise that they do not have the funds or capabilities to help themselves.
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Germany reached out to its neighbours asking for help and if they would purchase their goods, but because of their history, no one wanted to help them.
When the victim cries for help, people tend to ignore them as they believe that the victim is in this position for a reason.
Along came Hitler with his promise of hope and prosperity. After a few years introduced price controls, which created artificially low prices.
It is important that the victim finds the right people to help so that they are not taken advantage of and are able to feel valued and look after themselves.
The German economy came crashing down, largely due to them being confronted with hefty fines they needed to repay post WW1.
Having joint accounts with a partner who manages all the funds in an abusive or controlling way can cause a lot of difficulties. They can end up taking on a lot of debt without the knowledge of the victim. This causes difficulty for the victim as they end up being the ones taking responsibility to fix this.
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Needing to repay these fines, money was being directed to them, rather than businesses. Due to high inflation, people couldn’t afford anything which meant businesses lost revenue and couldn’t pay their employees, leading to unemployment.
If the victim is left on their own to repay these debts after separation, their whole life can focus on this instead looking after themselves and giving themselves the proper care they need.
Germany realised it needed to shift its focus from paying fines to looking after its population, so they took a loan from America which helped pay employees which in turn allowed employment rates to rise.
Giving the victim a loan allows them to get back on their feet, take care of themselves, pay off the debts, so that they are able to become financially stable on their own.
Goods in Germany became too expensive for residents to purchase so they reached out to their neighbouring countries in hope for trade. Post WW1 there were protected tariffs around certain countries which prohibited sanctioned trade from taking place, restricted Germany’s ability to trade and profit.
Survivors of financial or domestic abuse may often feel trapped in the confinements of their home without being able to actively seek help from people around them.
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With no one being able to or wanting to help Germany, they were left isolated with no money was able to come in to help rebuild their economy and pay off their debts.
Not being able to receive help or guidance can leave them in a vulnerable and depressed state. Some have been out of work for years and may no longer be qualified in their fields, leaving them unemployed and potentially or eventually homeless.
Years later, when Germany was seen to be more stable post WW2, the protected tariffs dropped and countries were able to trade with Germany. This boosted their trade market by 50%.
With the correct help and guidance, survivors may be able to find work and a steady income which will allow them to start over and become financially independent.
After WW1 Germany was charged with a number of fines they needed to pay but didn’t have the funds that they were asking for.
Being in relationships where the victim is exposed to financial or domestic abuse can expose them to unexpected hardships and debts. The perpetrator may abuse them to take out loans under their name, ruin their credit score and leaving them spiralling into more debt.
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They took it upon themselves to solve this problem on their own, thinking that by printing more money, they would be able to reach the value of the fines quickly.
The victim is able to identify the position that they are in and attempts to fix the problem alone.
This caused inflation, causing their economy to crash further as the value of the Deutschmark decreased.
This can lead the victim in a dangerous path causing more damage to their financial situation, emotional or physical wellbeing if they don’t reach out and find help.