Everyone needs to know this tactic so well that they immediately recognize it when they see it: DARVO = Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.
The name was coined by Jennifer J. Freyd in “Violations of power, adaptive blindness, and betrayal trauma theory” (1997), Feminism & Psychology. Definition: A behavior of perpetrators of wrongdoing (especially sexual offenders), when accused of attacking their victim, reversing the roles of victim and offender. DARVO
It's a sick and twisted psychological tactic that's been around for quite a while but it's not as widely recognized as it needs to be. The more it's recognized and the better it's understood, the less likely it is to work.
Here's why it more important than ever to recognize it now: The religious rightwing's uber leaders love to don their well-used victim costumes when they get called out for trying to force everyone else to live by their sharia-like rules. I really noticed it becoming popular when Bill O'Reilly invented the so-called "War on Christmas." However, since Indiana's new bigot empowerment law passed this week, I'm seeing it used multiple times daily by the rightwing's christo-fascist leaders. Thanks to years of practice, they really have it down to an art. What's more, they've inculcated even their most brainless followers with it (with the help of Faux Newz) as a talking point to be used for *all* arguments.
Know it when you see it. Name it and call them out on it. Laugh at them for their transparency. DARVO - it's what's for dinner if you're a christo-fascist.