WA financial abuse awareness rises but more action needed
Bankwest’s 2025 Hidden Costs Report has revealed a sharp rise in awareness of coercive control in WA, with 95% of respondents also able to identify financial control as a form of abuse.
Bankwest’s Hidden Costs report into financial abuse tracks community awareness over five years.
- Coercive control awareness has climbed to 80%, up 11% from last year and 19% since 2022
- Financial abuse awareness now at 95%
- While awareness of financial abuse is increasing, 68% of West Australians are unable to name a support service, highlighting an opportunity to empower people with more knowledge.
Financial abuse awareness has climbed to 95% (up from 89% in 2021), and understanding has reached 80% (up 11% since 2021), but just 32% can identify support services for those experiencing financial abuse.
While 61% feel confident identifying financial abuse, with common forms such as coercion into debt, control of money, and restricted access to bank accounts, recognition levels have remained unchanged over time.
Coercive control awareness has climbed to 80%, up 11% from last year and 19% since 2022. Understanding of coercive control now stands at 55%, showing increases of 11% since 2024 and 15% since 2022.
West Australians increasingly recognise a wide range of behaviours as coercive control, with recognition of emotional/psychological abuse (69%) rising by 10% since 2022 although 50% say they could not identify it.
WA residents who have disclosed a disability are roughly twice as likely as those without a disability to say they have experienced or are currently experiencing coercive control (27% compared to 14%).
The Hidden Costs Report canvassed more than 1000 WA adults and is released as part of Bankwest’s support for the WA Government’s annual 16 Days in WA campaign to end gender-based violence.
Bankwest is now in its fifth year of commissioning annual research to examine the prevalence of and attitudes toward coercive control, family and domestic violence (FDV), and financial abuse.
Attributed to: Jodene Murphy – Bankwest General Manager Customer, Marketing and Communications.
“It is promising that awareness of financial abuse and coercive control has increased, but we still have a long way to go before we end financial abuse and help people achieve long-term financial independence in WA.
“The number of West Australians who are unable to name a financial abuse help service is too high. It is critical the finance sector continues to build awareness of one of the hidden costs of family violence.”
Attributed to: Hon Jessica Stojkovski – Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence.
“Financial abuse is an all too common form of coercive control which seeks to limit an individual’s access to independence and freedom of choice.
“We know it has devastating consequences for those impacted and can lead to individuals feeling trapped in abusive relationships.
“The findings in the Bankwest Hidden Costs Report highlight how crucial awareness raising is, in shaping public understanding on complex issues such as coercive control and what that can look like in a relationship.
“Encouragingly, this year’s Hidden Costs Report demonstrates that the number of Western Australians that understand financial abuse and coercive control continues to grow.
“However there is still much to do in raising this awareness, which is why the Cook Government is taking a measured, phased approach to criminalising coercive control.
“It’s important victim survivors hear and understand they are not alone, there is help available. During 16 Days in WA we can make change and we want everyone playing their part.”
Understanding of FDV, financial abuse and coercive control
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDV | 93% | 93% | 92% | 92% | 92% |
| Financial abuse | 69% | 75% | 77% | 78% | 80% |
| Coercive control | 40% | 41% | 44% | 55% |
Awareness
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| FDV | 98% |
| Financial abuse | 95% |
| Coercive control | 80% |
Can identify types of abuse
| 2021 (n=1,008) |
2022 (n=1,013) |
2023 (n=1,033) |
2024 (n=1,061) |
2025 (n=1,042) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial abuse | 61% | 64% | 62% | 64% | 61% |
| Coercive control | 49% | 46% | 48% | 50% |
Scenarios most consider types of FDV
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threatens to use physical force against a partner | 90% | 84% | 85% | 85% | 87% |
| Uses physical force against a partner | 90% | 88% | 87% | 88% | 87% |
| Forces a partner to perform sexual acts | 84% | 82% | 79% | 82% | 82% |
| Is yelling, insulting, or swearing at a partner | 83% | 81% | 79% | 80% | 80% |
| Engages in emotional control of a partner by undermining their self-confidence or feelings of self-worth | 82% | 81% | 78% | 82% | 79% |
| Acts to isolate their partner from friends and family | 80% | 79% | 76% | 79% | 78% |
| Takes control of a partner’s pay and does not allow them to access it | 77% | 77% | 76% | 77% | 76% |
| Spending habits are forcibly controlled by a partner or similar, and they’re not able to make autonomous decisions | 77% | 77% | 75% | 76% | 75% |
| Takes control over a partner’s bank accounts and financial transactions | 74% | 75% | 72% | 76% | 73% |
| Forbids a partner from working or spending their wages | 76% | 76% | 74% | 75% | 72% |
Scenarios most consider coercive control
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emotional or psychological abuse, including spiritual and religious abuse | 59% | 60% | 63% | 69% | |
| Using threats and intimidation | 63% | 64% | 64% | 69% | |
| Restricting a victim-survivor’s freedom or independence | 60% | 59% | 62% | 66% | |
| Sexual coercion | 63% | 60% | 62% | 65% | |
| Financial abuse | 59% | 60% | 58% | 64% | |
| Physical abuse (including sexual abuse) | 55% | 57% | 58% | 62% | |
| Social abuse | 55% | 55% | 56% | 61% | |
| Monitoring a victim-survivor’s actions | 50% | 53% | 53% | 58% | |
| Reproductive coercion | 50% | 51% | 52% | 57% | |
| Technology-facilitated abuse | 48% | 50% | 51% | 55% | |
| Lateral violence | 43% | 43% | 45% | 48% | |
| Systems abuse | 44% | 43% | 48% | 48% | |
| Animal abuse | 39% | 40% | 38% | 40% |
Aware of support available for financial abuse
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 22% | 25% | 25% | 23% | 32% |
| No/Don’t know | 78% | 75% | 75% | 77% | 68% |
Personal experience
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Have experienced financial abuse behaviours | 29% | 33% | 36% | 35% | 34% |
| Know someone who has experienced financial abuse | 25% | 29% | 25% | 28% | 25% |
Among those who experienced financial abuse: most common behaviours experienced
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Used all wages earned by you for household expenses, while spending their own money only on themselves | 59% | 49% | 62% | 56% | 54% |
| Refused to contribute financially to you or to your family | 58% | 50% | 52% | 51% | 48% |
| Had hidden assets from you | 53% | 50% | 45% | 49% | 47% |
| Coerced you to sign documents, take out loan | 47% | 48% | 45% | 45% | 46% |
| Had complete control of your money | 47% | 47% | 50% | 47% | 46% |
| Has destroyed, damaged or stolen from your property | 58% | 47% | 44% | 50% | 45% |
| Did not allow seeking employment or sabotaged employment opportunities | 49% | 46% | 39% | 44% | 44% |
| Restricted access to your bank accounts | 46% | 44% | 47% | 45% | 40% |
| Provided you with only an inadequate “allowance” | 45% | 42% | 40% | 39% | 36% |
| Forced you to work in a family business without being paid | 39% | 37% | 35% | 36% | 35% |
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