Approximately one in three college students report experiencing physical and or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) (Fass et al., 2008). Research has shown that economic abuse co-occurs with physical and psychological; however, little research exists on college students' experiences of economic abuse and the unique ways economic abuse can manifest in the lives of students. This study utilized a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design to (1) explore college students' experiences of economic abuse among other forms of IPV, (2) develop and pilot-test a scale of education sabotage, and (3) explore the negative impacts of economic abuse among college students. In phase one, nine advocates working on college campuses participated in interviews regarding students' experiences of economic abuse. These interviews were used to develop 12 survey items. In phase two, the 12 survey items were pilot tested with 487 students from a large Midwestern University. This study found that college students experience economic abuse, but they also experience a unique form of economic abuse referred to as education sabotage. The Education Sabotage Scale was found to be reliable and valid, and results indicated that education sabotage was positively associated with adverse outcomes. College campuses should include economic abuse and education sabotage in their mandatory dating violence trainings. College campuses should also implement policies to protect and assist students experiencing economic abuse and education sabotage, such as providing academic and financial resources to students who experience these forms of abuse.
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