DARVO is a reaction abusers use to shift the blame away from themselves and toward others when their wrongdoing is exposed. It is often used to avoid accountability.
DARVO is an acronym that stands for “Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.” More specifically, the steps are to deny the behavior, attack the individual confronting the perpetrator, and reverse the roles of perpetrator and victim so the perpetrator now takes on the victim role and the victim appears to be the perpetrator. This is commonly seen when the perpetrator posits that he is falsely accused and works to discredit the actual victim’s statement or casts them as the perpetrator.
Harsey, S., & Freyd, J. J. (2020). Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender (DARVO): What Is the Influence on Perceived Perpetrator and Victim Credibility?. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 29(8), 897-916. Retrieved from www.tandfonline.com
Thompson, L. A. (2020). Clergy Sexual Abuse as a Betrayal Trauma: Institutional Betrayal & a Call for Courageous [White paper]. Montclair State University. Retrieved from www.loriannethompson.com