Contest: Handling Accusations and Rumours.

How are you, my dear friends? I hope you are all fine as I am. I appreciate @eveetim for organising this contest titled "Contest: Handling Accusations and Rumours". I hope to do justice to this topic.

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Tell us about your understanding of accusations and false rumours.

An accusation could be seen as a claim that someone has said something or done something which is yet to be confirmed. This means that an accusation can turn out to be true or false as the case may be. In other words, it doesn't mean the accused is guilty. Other words that can be used in place of accusation are "allegation", "assertion", " claim", etc.
False rumour, on the other hand, is any untrue, distorted or wrong information spread around that people are talking about. For example, I recently saw some information on Facebook that Jason Statham, the popular Hollywood actor, is dead, and they even displayed a photo snap at the scene of the accident. Some hours later, I discovered the information was fake (False rumour).

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Have you been wrongly accused or have people spread false rumours about you before? Or maybe anyone close to you? What was/were your feelings or the person's feelings? Tell us.

Yes, I wrongly accused a colleague of mine, whom I thought leaked information about an issue that is supposed to be managed within the school, to the Ministry of Education in the state. I accused him because I know him to be someone who talks too much and is even involved in issues that don't concern him. At that point, I could see that the accused became very cold and helpless. He didn't even know how to convince us that he wasn't the one who leaked the information.

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How did you handle the accusations or false rumours?

We later discover that he was not the one who leaked the information. Therefore, I visited him in his house and apologised for accusing him wrongly which he understood and forgave me.

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Is there any part of rumours or accusations that is positive? Explain.

Just as rumours and accusations have a devastating effect on someone, they also have their positive effects which are:

• Rumours or accusations draw the attention of individuals to that which is not known to be known, especially in this 21st century, where information spreads fast through social media.
• It is an avenue for people to connect with each other, share information, and express their opinions.
• Rumours can disclose the anxieties and concerns of others regarding issues in a group or society. In other words, it can serve as a feedback mechanism.
• It can serve as a motivational factor, especially if the rumour is about future opportunities.

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Tell us in detail a better way to handle accusations and false rumours.

When someone is accused or a false rumour is spread about someone, he or she may be demoralised and feel helpless. The person may feel like going out there to defend himself which is not the best thing to do. These few steps can be taken instead:

• Stay calm and find out why such an accusation is levelled against you and never explain anything to someone. The answer to this question will be very helpful. You should also find out where this accusation is coming from.
• Don't allow the accusation to demoralise you and don't ever defend yourself. Just be yourself and act to show your innocence as time will certainly heal the wound caused by the false rumour or accusation.
• If the accusation is about dragging you to the mod, seek legal counsel and appropriate support as you trust God in prayer.

Conclusion
It is truly demoralising to be accused but when it happens, the accused should be calm and seek counsel. Thank you the going through my article and for your support.

Invitation
I invite @vickyson, @chant, @joshdavid and @rashid001 to join me in the contest.

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@eveetim

Thank You All