Man Shares His Painful Experience To Warn Other Parents: “My Son Falsely Accused Me Of Abusing Him”
PSYCHOLOGY
Man Shares His Painful Experience To Warn Other Parents: “My Son Falsely Accused Me Of Abusing Him”
The problem of child abuse is the one that should not be ignored. Every day, hundreds of children suffer from physical abuse at home. The worst thing is that a lot of such cases were never reported to authorities, and kids simply got used to living in constant fear. That’s horrible!
Physical and sexual abuse is a traumatic experience for any child. But sometimes, children lie about it. In this case, it’s a parent who becomes a victim.
Yuganov Konstantin / Shutterstock.com
“My son falsely accused me of abusing him”
Seth Meyers decided to share his story hoping it can help other parents who experience a similar situation.
I cherish this pic with #GloriaAllred, someone who never stops standing up for women. pic.twitter.com/K3ImaMt7dX
— Dr. Seth (@DrSethMeyers) December 9, 2014
Yuganov Konstantin / Shutterstock.com
The calls from school staff about the boy’s behavior started coming almost every day. One day, when Seth went to pick his son up from school, his teacher said he wanted to talk to him.
Seth would never forget what happened next. His son made a statement that left him horrified. He said he wouldn’t go home with his dad because “he was going to spank him as he did before.”
When the staff member used the term “child abuse,” Seth froze. He couldn’t believe that his son said such horrible things about him.
I had never felt so confused in my entire life. ‘Huh?’, I felt like saying. Not only do I not abuse my child, but I don’t even yell!
After the first shock, Meyers had more clarity about what happened. As a licensed psychologist, he could explain his son’s behavior.
His behavior fit with a pattern I have seen before: He gets in trouble for bad behavior, and the first thing he does is to blame someone or something else for his bad deeds.
SeventyFour / Shutterstock.com
Seth found the strength to forgive his son but said he would probably never learn to trust him anymore.
After having gone through this horrific experience, Meyers decided to share some recommendations of how to deal with false accusations of child abuse.
Quick guidance
If your child falsely accuses you of domestic abuse, here are several useful recommendations to follow for the parents:
NadyaEugene / Shutterstock.com
1. Try not to take it personally. In most cases, such behavior results in children’s desire to punish parents for their own setbacks.
2. Address for a professional help. This kind of child behavior often requires long-term mental health treatment.
3. Find witnesses that can describe you as a good parent. These can be your relatives, friends, or co-workers that have witnessed your relationships with kids.
4. Don’t be afraid to communicate with school staff members. Try to explain that you have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.
5. Sharing hobbies and spending time with other families are proved to improve relationships between a parent and a child.
Irynka78 / Shutterstock.com
We hope none of you will ever go through a similar experience. Be open with your children, and remember that your relationships are the ones worth all time and efforts.
The material in this article is for informational purposes only and does not replace the advice of a certified specialist.
