Economic and Social Violence

Control of resources and social isolation

Beyond physical harm, coercive control is often exercised through economic and social means.

Economic violence involves restricting access to financial resources, preventing the victim from working, controlling every penny she spends or generating debts in her name.

An example would be a provider who provides a minimal allowance for household expenses and demands detailed receipts, or who sabotages her partner's job opportunities to keep her dependent.

Social violence seeks to dismantle the victim's support network. The perpetrator uses jealousy or constant criticism of friends and family to isolate the partner.

Progressively, the victim stops attending meetings or calling her loved ones to "avoid problems" at home.

This isolation is strategic: without witnesses or external support, the victim loses her perspective on reality and her ability to ask for help, leaving her totally at the mercy of the aggressor.

The Iceberg Model: The Visible vs. the Invisible

A useful metaphor to work with in therapy is the "Iceberg Model". The visible part above the water represents physical and sexual violence, as well as the more extreme consequences such as femicide.

These are the manifestations that society and the legal system easily recognize because of their tangible marks.

However, the immense submerged mass represents psychological violence, subtle control and daily contempt.

This invisible part is what sustains the structure of the abuse and is usually the first to develop, often from the dating stage.

The therapist must help the couple to identify this submerged base, since many patients do not recognize that they are in a violent relationship because "he has never hit me", ignoring that contempt and control are the deep roots of the problem.

Instrumentalization of the children

A devastating tactic is the use of the children as tools of control. The abuser may threaten to remove custody, harm the children, or use them as messengers to convey threats and insults.

Phrases such as "if you leave, you will never see them again" or "I will tell everyone that you are a bad mother/father" are forms of vicarious and psychological violence.

This dynamic traps the victim in the relationship under the terror of losing her children or that they will suffer.

In therapy, it is crucial to eva luate how this manipulation affects not only the couple, but also the emotion