RESEARCH_FILE
Sarah J. Harsey
University of Oregon (Freyd Dynamics Lab)
Known for:Empirical research establishing DARVO as a measurable perpetrator strategy and testing its effects on observers
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“Maybe I misremembered it”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“I may be doubting this because it got pushed back on, not because it never happened.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Open a note or paper and write five concrete details from the incident: date or day, place, exact phrase you remember, who was present, and what felt off. Save it without rewriting.
Key findings
- 2017
Found DARVO's three components — deny, attack, reverse victim and offender — co-occurred in about 72% of real confrontations, and that heavier DARVO use predicted greater self-blame in the person who confronted the wrongdoer. Perpetrator Responses to Victim Confrontation: DARVO and Victim Self-Blame ↗
- 2020
Found that observers exposed to a perpetrator's DARVO response — versus denial alone — rated the perpetrator as more credible and the victim as less credible. Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender (DARVO): What Is the Influence on Perceived Perpetrator and Victim Credibility? ↗