Kalyn Risker could have been a statistic. Every year, millions of Americans are affected by domestic violence. Nearly all of them—a whopping 98 percent—also cope with financial abuse. It’s a way for abusers to trap their partners by doing things like keeping them from looking for work, hiding financial information, or ruining credit. These victims aren’t just harmed physically. They’re held captive, made completely dependent, and stripped of self-esteem.
Risker was one of them. Her partner wouldn’t let her leave for work, so eventually she was fired. Then he beat her badly enough to shatter her eye socket. When he was arrested, she was left without an income.
Today, she runs Detroit’s Sisters Acquiring Financial Empowerment(SAFE), where she helps victims of economic abuse learn how to interview, write resumes, and look for jobs online. With jobs come money and with money comes independence, and many SAFE clients don’t need to rely on an abusive partner for income any more.
SAFE turns eight next week. Here’s Kalyn’s story and advice, as told to NO MORE.
