Thread by @RVAwonk

Today is a good day to learn about DARVO, an acronym that “describes the typical response of a guilty person when they’ve been accused of bad behavior.”

It stands for: Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender. It’s also a form of abuse.
metro.co.uk/2020/06/13/gui…

DARVO is a response seen among a huge majority of abusers. It’s meant not only to deny their wrongdoing, but also to undermine the credibility of the victim, gain sympathy, take support away from the victim, and continue their abuse without consequences.

Example: DARVO was very much present during the Depp/Heard trial, but unfortunately, the case was turned into a media spectacle because many of those covering it only saw it as an opportunity for monetization and attention.

And survivors suffered for it.
teenvogue.com/story/johnny-d…

DARVO is the #1 tactic used by psychological abusers, and it often involves “grooming allies” to believe falsehoods about the victim. The perpetrator often tries to denigrate the victim by bringing up unrelated negative accusations — anything to deflect.
michigandaily.com/opinion/darvo-…

It’s really a sadistic set of behaviors that people need to be more aware of. And perhaps now is a good time to consider if any of this sounds or looks familiar. Remember, DARVO is an act put on to deceive the public (you), and in that way, you become secondary victims.

(DARVO is also used to psychologically manipulate victims, but it’s also an outward-facing set of behaviors meant to avoid accountability by undermining the victim’s credibility and falsely claiming victimhood through a variety of deceptive tactics, including disinformation).

I mean, what do I know, right? It’s not like I studied VAWA, published peer reviewed research on VAWA, then studied disinformation and deception, published peer reviewed research and countless news/media reports on disinformation & deception. Clearly I know nothing about this. 🙃