New research about DARVO has some good news
DARVO, coined by Dr. Jennifer J. Freyd, has increasingly joined the lexicon of people concerned about wrongdoing, especial sexual and domestic abuse. On Freyd’s website, it’s defined as
a reaction perpetrators of wrong doing, particularly sexual offenders, may display in response to being held accountable for their behavior. DARVO stands for "Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender." The perpetrator or offender may Deny the behavior, Attack the individual doing the confronting, and Reverse the roles of Victim and Offender such that the perpetrator assumes the victim role and turns the true victim—or the whistle blower—into an alleged offender.
DARVO is very common—and, sadly, it works. However, there’s a glimmer of hope to see in new research by Freyd and Sarah Harsey. In “Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender (DARVO): What Is the Influence on Perceived Perpetrator and Victim Credibility?” they found that education can lessen the strategy’s impact.
It’s worth reading the whole thread and giving Dr. Freyd a follow. She also founded the Center for Institutional Courage to conduct research about topics including DARVO.
The new research inspired me to make this simple infographic about DARVO. Feel free to share with attribution and to tag and/or link to profile if you share. Thanks :)
Simple infographic about DARVO based on research by Dr. Jennifer J. Freyd. For a high-res PDF copy click here.
Click here for a screen-reader accessible PDF of the infographic.
