Measuring income access, assets and earning potential

[carolyn hartley <carolyn-hartley@xxxxxxxxx>]

I do research in the area of the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment. I am trying to understand the barriers women face in leaving an abusive relationship, particularly when children are also being abused in the family.

I want to look at how a lack of income may pose a barrier to women leaving, and want to expand my measurement of income beyond simply asking about the amount of personal or family income. More specifically, I am looking for literature, instruments and/or ideas for measuring "income access, assets and earning potential."

By income access, I mean a person's actual access to family income. For example, a domestic abuse victim may report $60,000 as her family income, but she personally may not have full access to that money.

I am thinking of income assets as follows - if an abuse victim decides to leave the abusive relationship and set up a new residence, does she have the money for a security deposit and first months rent, to hire movers, set up utility service; can she take furniture and household items with her, etc.

Regarding income earning potential - I am looking for measures of a person's perception of his/her ability to earn a sufficient income for their current life circumstances (e.g., single parent supporting two kids). Income earning potential might include level of education, past work history, job training, access to transportation to a job site, access to adequate child care if needed, money to buy work clothes, etc.

Does anyone know of any existing measures or literature on measuring income that goes beyond a monetary value of family income?

Regards,

Carolyn Copps Hartley, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Iowa
School of Social Work
308 North Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242