The Lexicon of Abuse: DARVO

Continuing our ‘Lexicon’ series: DARVO: Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender

DARVO is a common manipulation tactic that abusers use against their victims to deflect attention and blame back onto the victim.  It can sometimes be referred to as ‘outrage management’. It’s an indispensable tool for those who have committed abusive acts, and piles on the pain for the victim.

By convincing onlookers that abusive behaviour never took place, was misunderstood, or was trivial, not harmful), the perpetrator gains a clear advantage in the public eye (both the media and social media) and in the legal system. It casts doubt on the victim’s version of events. Individuals start to view victims as more responsible for the abuse perpetrated against them, and as being more abusive. It also makes perpetrators seem less responsible for the abuse they have committed and as less abusive in general.

However, research also clearly shows that people who are educated about DARVO are less likely to be swayed by it. By calling out DARVO when we see it, we may be able to reduce perpetrators’ attempts to discredit and silence victims/whistle blowers.

A closer look at some DARVO tactics:                                                                                      

Deny

·         deny events happened;

·         claim events have been taken out of context;

·         minimise the event and its seriousness, claiming ‘fuss about nothing’ or deflecting attention onto something they claim is more important. (Politicians are great at this!)

·         claim misinterpretation of actions or events.

Attack

·         discredit the person calling them out (victim) by highlighting imperfections or previous wrongdoing;

·         report the victim to the police for wrongdoing, such as harassment;

·         threaten legal action such as defamation or harassment;

·         using the victim’s personal characteristics (sex, gender, race, religion) against them or to raise doubt;

·         victim blaming, for example being drunk or wearing the wrong clothes;

·         manipulate the media and social media against the victim.

(See also the ‘Perfect Victim’ concept.)

Reverse Victim and Offender

The offender positions themselves as the victim, and the victim as the offender – playing the victim AND blaming the real victim:

·         claim a victim is stalking them;

·         claim the victim is “trolling” them;

·         claim their life has been affected negatively and out of proportion to the event ever since the misdeed was revealed;

·         in the same way as they pointed out the victims misdeed, point to their own virtuous act(s);

·         claim they were going through a tough time themselves;

·         use police procedures against the victim so that they appear to be the wronged party;

The term DARVO is attributed to Dr. Jennifer Freydin in her work “Violations of power, adaptive blindness, and betrayal trauma theory” Feminism & Psychology(1997).

Dr Freydin is a highly credited author and academic based in the US, whose work includes theories not only of DARVO but also of betrayal trauma, institutional betrayal, and institutional courage. Her work over many years stands out for its role in ensuring that survivors voices are properly heard when reporting sexual violence.