FATHERS ADVOCATE

Research shows that threats to make false accusations are common in situations where women perpetrate violence against men. 73% of men who experienced female-perpetrated violence reported that their partner threatened to make false accusations versus less than 3% of males in the general population. Among men who experience female-perpetrated violence, 56% said their female partners actually did make false accusations that he physically or sexually abused her, compared to less than one percent in the general population. 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262814641_A_self-report_measure_of_legal_and_administrative_aggression_within_intimate_relationships

False accusations are a form of domestic violence, another tool in an abuser’s “toolbox.” They are a way for abusers to further manipulate, control, and maintain power over their partners.  

The studies show that women are significantly more likely to use false accusations of domestic violence against their male partners than the other way around.

It is likely that a female perpetrator is able to engage in these behaviors because of existing widespread misconceptions in both the public and legal sector that domestic violence is exclusively something that men do to women.  

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262814641_A_self-report_measure_of_legal_and_administrative_aggression_within_intimate_relationships

There are many accounts in the scholarly literature from men who spent much money, time, and other resources to prove their innocence in a court of law because of restraining orders being filed against them under false accusations of abuse; men who said the police assumed the men were at fault; and men whose wives used domestic violence service agencies to further manipulate the men (e.g., by telling the services they were the victims and then using that against him in further legal battles). 

Employees of relevant non‐governmental (e.g., domestic violence agencies) and governmental (e.g., family courts) agencies often hold stereotypes that men are always the perpetrators of domestic violence and that women are always the victims, making it difficult for men to seek services. 

The studies suggest that false accusations can have severe consequences for the victim’s physical and mental health, potentially leading to depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and poor physical health. 

They can have other severe consequences as well, such as the victim being arrested for domestic violence, losing custody of their children, losing their job and reputation, and losing time and money as they fight these legal battles for years on end. 

(This information is from three separate studies about male victims and criminal justice response, legal and administrative aggression, and the health of male victims.) 

Men’s experiences with domestic violence are not that different from women who experience it in terms of mental health, physical, and even sexual abuse. 

The key difference is around seeking help. Men are less likely to seek help on a broad range of mental and physical health issues. 

Coupled with society viewing domestic violence as a women’s issue, it is hard for men to identify what’s happening to them as domestic violence. They often think “my partner is mentally ill,” not “I need help.” 

She is an associate professor in the Department of Social Work, College of Health and Human Services, at George Mason University. She is one of the world’s leading experts on male victims of domestic violence and false allegations against them. Hines’ expertise includes the causes, consequences, and prevention of family violence and sexual assault, with a particular focus on under-recognized victims of violence. As the former director of the Massachusetts Family Impact Seminars, she also has a specialization in translating university-based research for policymakers.  

Dr. Hines is the author of over 70 peer-reviewed articles and two books on issues of family violence, one of which – Family Violence in the United States – was recently released by Sage in its third edition. She and her colleagues are currently working on an international handbook entitled, Handbook of Men’s Victimisation in Intimate Relationships, currently under contract with Taylor and Francis. She has spoken about her work in front of various audiences, including state coalitions against domestic violence, the Massachusetts State legislature, the White House domestic policy staff, staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Canadian Parliament.