Thinking about domestic abuse, most people would assume that it means that one person was harmed by the other. Maybe they imagine a scene where a women is being hit or where a man is being held captive in his own home.
The reality is that domestic violence doesn’t have to be physical at all. It can be emotional, psychological and financial as well. That’s why, even if you haven’t touched your partner in any way, you need to defend yourself if they accuse you of domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse allegations could hurt your future
Just an accusation of abuse can haunt you for life. Accusations could end up in a newspaper or spread around the town locally. You could end up having trouble at work or in your social circles, too, depending on the other person’s actions and accusations.
Domestic abuse doesn’t have to be physical, which is one aspect of it that makes it hard to defend against. Did you raise your voice? Did you lock your spouse into a bedroom in your house to prevent them from following you out to your car? Even if you did these things to defend yourself, they could accuse you of domestic violence.
Domestic abuse comes in 5 forms
Domestic abuse comes in five forms:
- Emotional
- Verbal
- Sexual
- Economic
- Physical
Since there are so many kinds of potential abuse, it’s easy for someone to make false claims. The trouble is that it is sometimes an abuser who will cry wolf and make a claim that they’re the one in harm’s way. The person who was threatening you and chasing you to your vehicle that you had to lock into a room? They could claim you were holding them hostage in their own home if they call 911 and have someone let them out. That person who was degrading you and keeping control of your bank account could accuse you of verbal violence if you finally lose your temper and yell at them.
These are real issues that people deal with that can result in charges. If you’re facing charges, know that you do have the right to defend yourself.
