Dear Annie:

My 15-year-old son, "Denny," has always been a handful. I am a single mother and try to keep an eye on him. I don't allow Denny to go to a friend's house unless there is a parent home.

Recently, he visited a girl while her parents were home. When I picked him up, things appeared fine. Two days later, three older boys beat up my son. Apparently, this fine young lady must have said that Denny raped her. This rumor took off rapidly, and my son has been attacked numerous times, and he's afraid to go very far from home.

The girl claims to be clueless as to how these rumors started. She's apologized to Denny and insists she never accused him of anything, but I can't imagine how these boys would have even known he was in her home unless she said something.

I'm contemplating moving to another town, but fear that leaving would be an admission of guilt. How do I battle these accusations? － Desperate Mom

Dear Mom:

If nothing happened, the girl in question should be happy to say so to her friends. If Denny is innocent and neighborhood boys are attacking him, you should call the police. This could result in a rape investigation, so first contact a lawyer and see how best to proceed.