DC Accepted Papers Paper:
The Price of Sexual Violence: Long-Term Economic Impact on Survivors and the Economy
*Names in bold indicate Presenter
The literature review will demonstrate the impact of isolated incidents of sexual violence on adult female survivors’ employment prospects and overall economic well-being. Previous research has tended to focus on the economic repercussions for women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) – broadly defined here as long-term violence, perpetrated by a romantic partner. Survivors of IPV experience their partner exerting extreme control over them physically, sexually and/or financially. Therefore, prior projects have evaluated the long-term consequences of the economic control exerted on the survivor through a quantitative lens. However, the field fails to recognize the enormous impacts of isolated incidents on a woman’s long-term economic well-being. Through quantitative and qualitative means the data illustrates that isolated events of sexual violence permanently alter a woman’s economic security negatively. This paper will offer an analysis of factors of the downturn, supplemented by an understanding of the tenets of behavioral economics and then offer policy solutions to support survivors economically.
