D.A.R.V.O

How perpetrators manipulate and control

Photo by Anton Lammert on Unsplash

DARVO, an acronym coined by psychologist and researcher Dr. Jennifer Freyd, stands for Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender. Dr Freyd’s research into betrayal trauma theory (BTT) directly inspired the concept of DARVO as she sought to understand the interpersonal and systemic dynamics that protect perpetrators and silence victims. Her work highlights the role DARVO plays in maintaining systems of abuse by suppressing victims and explains how isolating the survivors and undermining their efforts to seek justice perpetuates victimization.

Specifically, when deliberate harm is caused by someone a person trusts and may be dependent on for safety, care, or survival, ongoing tactical psychological abuse, referred to as DARVO, takes effect when allegations of abuse are disclosed. The abuser denies their harmful actions and accuses the victim of being overly sensitive, irrational, or the real aggressor. This form of gaslighting is followed by projection, in which abusive problematic behavior is attributed to the victim, while the abuser is framed as innocent.

To clarify, when the perpetrator denies abuse or wrongdoing altogether, they often assert that it did not happen or that the accuser is mistaken. The following statements exemplify this tactic;