What if somebody falsely accuses me of domestic violence?

A false accusation of domestic violence can be shocking, but you must act quickly. For many good reasons most people abhor domestic violence. As a result, rumors can get out of control very quickly.

Not only is it vital to react quickly, but also intelligently. According to Findlaw, if somebody is making false allegations of domestic violence against you, make sure to not escalate the situation and get in contact with your friends and family as quickly as possible.

How can I deescalate the situation?

The best thing to do is remain calm, particularly in public. If you react to an allegation of domestic violence with anger, your accuser may use this against you. It is important to keep calm in public and remain firm and even-keeled when rebuffing the accusations.

Another thing to do is change your username and passwords for all of your accounts. Particularly if your accuser has access to these accounts, it is possible that he or she will send threatening messages from your account to make it look as if there has been a “paper trail” of threats.

How can my friends and family help?

If somebody is accusing you of domestic violence, you want your nearest and dearest to hear about it from you and not the rumor mill. Informing your friends and family about what is going on and calmly denying the accusations can go a long way toward ensuring that they stay on your side.

It is also possible that your accuser may try to turn your friends and family against you. Reaching out first is a preemptive measure to prevent this from happening.