Economic Abuse in Coercive Control Trajectories: Applying Escalation Pattern Analysis to Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

This review synthesizes research on economic abuse within intimate partner violence (IPV), with a focus on its function in coercive control dynamics. A narrative synthesis methodology was employed to integrate empirical quantitative and qualitative peer-reviewed studies published through June 2025. Searches were conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar using terms related to economic abuse, financial control, and coercive control. Studies were included if they examined economic abuse within intimate partner relationships and reported empirical findings on patterns, consequences, or contextual dynamics. In total, 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings indicate that economic abuse frequently co-occurs with other forms of coercive control, contributes to cumulative psychological and socioeconomic harm, and often intensifies during periods of separation or perceived loss of control. However, evidence regarding temporal sequencing remains limited, as most studies emphasize prevalence rather than longitudinal progression. Escalation Pattern Analysis (EPA) is applied as an interpretive framework to organize findings across dimensions of behavioral frequency, severity, and constraint erosion. The review identifies significant gaps in longitudinal research and emphasizes the importance of incorporating economic abuse into trauma-informed policy and practice responses.