DARVO

DARVO is a psychological method, often used by criminals (notably, abusers, specifically sex offenders), to avoid (if possible) the consequences of their actions.

The term is an acronym for its three components:

• Deny - first, the accused simply denies that any abuse ever took place (a form of gaslighting).
• Attack - next (when confronted with evidence of wrongdoing), the accused attacks the accuser (and/or family and friends) for attempting to hold the accused accountable. (Within church circles where abuse is accused, frequently the offender claims "it should have been handled via Matthew 18, it's an internal church issue".)
• Reverse Victim and Offender - finally, the accused claims that, in fact, they are not the perpetrator, but instead the actual victim in the situation (e.g., "she seduced me into having sex with her"). This involves both playing the victim and victim blaming.