DARVO
Etymology
An acronym coined by psychologist Jennifer Freyd in the 1990s, standing for "Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender." It emerged from her research on how perpetrators respond when confronted.
noun · /DAR-voh/
A manipulation tactic in which someone accused of wrongdoing denies it, attacks the accuser, and recasts themselves as the true victim.
What it names
A recognizable script of deflection — an acronym for "Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender."
Example
Confronted with the evidence, he ran the full DARVO — denied everything, called her a liar, then wept about being persecuted.
Related idea
Gaslighting makes a victim doubt their own perception; DARVO is a broader public playbook that flips the roles of accuser and accused outright.