"He would back her into a corner and verbally abuse her for hours. And sometimes Sandra responded in ways that she now regrets-shouting at Gary, throwing things, and slamming doors in frustration. She separated from him to protect herself and the children from Gary's outbursts and coercive control. She was shocked when Gary filed for a protective order, claiming that she had abused him."
"He used recordings that he had secretly made as evidence against her. He showed edited video clips to neighbors, family, and friends. He tried to make people believe that Sandra was a crazy abuser and that he was an innocent victim. Gary had "flipped the story." Jennifer Freyd (2025) called this DARVO, which stands for Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender. This is a particularly vicious form of gaslighting."
Some domestic abusers provoke victims to elicit angry or fearful reactions, secretly record those reactions, and then use the recordings to claim victimhood and win legal advantage. These recordings can be edited and shown to neighbors, family, or courts to portray the true victim as the aggressor, sometimes resulting in protective orders against the survivor. This tactic, called DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender), is a severe form of gaslighting. Survivors need tailored safety planning to avoid provocative traps and supportive help to understand their experiences while leaving abusive relationships.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]