Understanding DARVO: Olympic Volleyball Rapist and Johnny Depp
DARVO—Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender—is a manipulative tactic that abusers use to evade accountability, manipulate the situation, and distort public perception. This psychological strategy has been infamously employed by high-profile individuals, most recently by Steven Van de Velde, an Olympic beach volleyball player convicted of child rape prior to the games, and actor Johnny Depp, during his legal battle with Amber Heard. By analyzing these cases, we can better understand how DARVO allows abusers to shift the narrative to present themselves as victim, manipulating their accusers and the public to avoid consequences.
Understanding DARVO Dynamics
Deny: The first step in DARVO is denial that the incident(s) ever happened. When accused of harmful behavior, abusers typically deny that anything occurred. This denial can be direct, such as "That never happened," or more nuanced, downplaying the severity of their behavior and accusing the victim of overreacting.
Attack: After denying the allegations, the abuser shifts focus to attacking the victim’s credibility, character, or mental stability. The goal is to discredit the victim and cast doubt on their account, making it difficult for others to believe their story. Common tactics include accusing the victim of lying, exaggerating, having ulterior motives, or questioning the victim’s mental health.
Reverse Victim and Offender: The final stage is the most manipulative—reversing the roles of victim and offender. The abuser presents themselves as the real victim, claiming they are being unfairly targeted or persecuted by the victim’s accusations. This role reversal confuses the narrative and gains sympathy for the abuser, leaving the actual victim isolated and discredited.
DARVO in Action: The Cases of Steven Van de Velde and Johnny Depp
One of the most striking examples of DARVO is the recent case of Steven Van de Velde, an Olympic volleyball player convicted of child rape. During an interview, Van de Velde broke into tears, portraying he and his family as victims and blaming the British media for his tough experience of being booed at the Olympics, even though he’d confessed and been found guilty of three counts of child rape. He also served a year in prison (of a four-year sentence.) “Breaking down in tears during the press conference, Van de Velde bemoaned how his family and volleyball partner were negatively affected.” Despite the severity of his crime, his emotional display was a classic example of DARVO. During the interview, he minimized the crime, attacked those who protested his Olympic participation, and positioned himself as the wronged party, attempting to shift public sympathy in his favor. This manipulation not only obscures the truth but also demonstrates how effective DARVO tactics can be in shifting focus and attempting to rewrite the narrative.
Another high-profile example of DARVO is the case of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Both parties accused each other of abuse during their tumultuous relationship, leading to a highly publicized legal battle. Depp’s legal team effectively employed DARVO tactics by denying his abusive behavior, attacking Heard’s credibility by portraying her as unstable and dishonest, and ultimately positioning Depp as the victim of a false narrative. The extensive media coverage and polarized public opinion showcased how DARVO can complicate the perception of abuse cases, making it difficult to discern the truth and leading to widespread confusion and doubt about who the true victim is.
In the Depp-Heard case, the public’s perception was further muddled by the fame and charisma of both individuals, which amplified the impact of DARVO. Depp’s reversal of roles, where he portrayed himself as the one being wronged, gained significant traction, leading to widespread sympathy for him, despite the serious allegations against him. This case illustrates how DARVO can be particularly potent when the accused has a strong public image or the ability to sway public opinion.
The Prevalence and Impact of DARVO
But DARVO is not limited to a few high-profile cases; it is a widespread tactic that affects many victims of abuse. A study published in the University of Oregon Journal of Interpersonal Violence found that 72% of participants reported experiencing all three components of DARVO tactics when confronting someone about interpersonal offenses, including sexual assault. This response not only exacerbates the trauma experienced by victims but also contributes to a culture of disbelief and victim-blaming that permeates society.
In another study, published in the JOURNAL OF AGGRESSION, MALTREATMENT & TRAUMA, “Analyses revealed that: (1) DARVO was commonly used by individuals who were confronted; (2) women were more likely to be exposed to DARVO than men during confrontations; (3) the three components of DARVO were positively correlated, supporting the theoretical construction of DARVO; and (4) higher levels of exposure to DARVO during a confrontation were associated with increased perceptions of self-blame among the confronters.” In other words, the victim was manipulated into blaming themselves as the result of DARVO tactics.
The use of DARVO has significant implications for how abuse is perceived and addressed. When abusers successfully employ DARVO, it can lead to systemic failures in the justice system, where victims are not believed, and abusers are not held accountable. This failure perpetuates the cycle of abuse and discourages other victims from coming forward, fearing they will face similar tactics of denial, attack, and reversal.
Why DARVO is So Effective
The effectiveness of DARVO lies in its ability to manipulate emotions and perceptions. By denying the abuse, the abuser creates doubt about the reality of the victim’s experience, even to the victim themselves. The subsequent attack on the victim’s character further erodes their credibility, making it difficult for others to believe their account. Finally, by reversing the roles of victim and offender, the abuser taps into societal tendencies to sympathize with those who appear vulnerable or wronged.
This tactic is particularly effective in a society that is often skeptical of abuse claims, especially in cases involving prominent or respected individuals. The reversal of roles can lead to a situation where the victim is seen as the aggressor, while the abuser is viewed as a martyr, unfairly persecuted by false accusations.
The Broader Cultural Impact of DARVO
But DARVO has a broader cultural impact beyond individual cases. It reinforces the culture of silence and complicity that enables abuse to flourish. When society is swayed by DARVO tactics, it creates an environment where victims are discouraged from speaking out, knowing that they will likely face disbelief, attacks on their character, and the potential of being labeled as the perpetrator.
This cultural impact is evident in how media and public discussion often handle cases of abuse. High-profile cases involving DARVO tactics also tend to generate polarized opinions, with public sympathy often shifting towards the accused, especially when they are skilled at playing the victim. This not only harms the individual victims but also further perpetuates stereotypes, disinformation and misconceptions about abuse.
What Can Be Done to Combat DARVO?
Understanding that DARVO is a pattern is the first step in combating its effects. By recognizing the signs of DARVO, individuals, communities, and institutions can better hold abusers accountable and support the victims. This involves a multi-pronged approach:
Education and Awareness: Raising awareness about DARVO and how it operates is crucial. Educating the public, law enforcement, legal professionals, and support services about the tactic can help ensure that victims are believed and supported, rather than being further victimized by DARVO strategies.
Support for Victims: Providing support systems for victims is essential in countering DARVO. This includes access to legal, psychological, and social support that empowers victims to stand firm in their truth, even in the face of DARVO tactics.
Holding Abusers Accountable: It is vital to hold abusers accountable, even when they employ DARVO. This requires a commitment to thorough investigations, fair legal processes, and a refusal to be swayed by manipulative tactics that seek to distort the truth.
Changing Cultural Narratives: Society itself needs to shift its narratives around abuse, moving away from skepticism and victim-blaming towards a culture of belief and accountability. This involves challenging the stereotypes and biases that allow DARVO to be effective and creating a culture where victims are supported, and abusers are held to account.
Understanding DARVO is not just about seeing through the lies of an individual abuser; it’s about dismantling the broader culture of disbelief and victim-blaming that enables abuse to persist. The cases of Steven Van de Velde and Johnny Depp are just high-profile examples that illustrate how DARVO can distort the truth, harm victims, and perpetuate a cycle of abuse and injustice. There are millions more just like them.
