DARVO and Sexual Revictimization Among Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors: Interpersonal Dimensions Beyond Trauma...

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at risk of sexual revictimization; however, the mechanisms underlying this are understudied. One may involve DARVO-Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender-a strategy frequently employed by perpetrators when confronted. This study examined whether DARVO used by CSA perpetrators is associated with sexual revictimization and contributes to revictimization beyond age and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. A secondary objective was validating the Hebrew translation of the DARVO scale short form (DARVO-SF). A total of 160 Israeli adult women with a history of CSA completed an online survey assessing DARVO, PTSD symptoms, and lifetime sexual revictimization. The psychometric properties of the Hebrew version of DARVO-SF were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and reliability estimation. Associations between DARVO and revictimization were assessed using correlations and PERMANOVA, while the contribution of DARVO to revictimization was examined using hierarchical logistic regressions. The translated DARVO-SF demonstrated acceptable structural consistency and moderate reliability (ω = .63-.76). Total DARVO scores correlated with all forms of revictimization. PERMANOVA revealed differences in DARVO related to sexual coercion (F[1,158] = 6.21, p = .005, R² = .038) and attempted rape (F[1,158] = 5.89, p = .007, R² = .036). In logistic regressions, DARVO contributed to sexual coercion (OR = 1.30, p < .001; ΔR² = .02) and attempted rape (OR = 1.29, p < .001; ΔR² = .02) beyond age and PTSD. DARVO did not contribute to rape (p > .05). The association between DARVO and sexual revictimization suggests that perpetrator-survivor dynamics shape CSA survivors' vulnerability years after the abuse. Findings also support using the Hebrew DARVO-SF in clinical and research settings.