DARVO is a trick some people use when they’ve done something wrong and don’t want to take blame.
It stands for:
Deny: First, they say they didn’t do it.
Attack: Then, they try to make the person who caught them look bad.
Reverse Victim and Offender: Last, they pretend they’re the victim instead of the person they hurt.
Imagine Donnie took a cookie from the jar without asking.
His mom catches him.
Donnie might use DARVO like this:
- Deny: “I didn’t take any cookies!”
- Attack: “Why are you always watching me? You don’t trust me!”
- Reverse: “You’re being mean to me for no reason. You’re hurting my feelings!”
