Karpman Drama Triangle
Persecutor, Victim, Rescuer
Stephen Karpman (1968, "Fairy Tales and Script Drama Analysis"), a student of Eric Berne (Transactional Analysis), described the "drama triangle": three roles partners fall into during conflict. Persecutor (blames, controls, dominates), Victim (complains, suffers, disowns responsibility), and Rescuer (over-protects, infantilizes, makes themselves indispensable). The roles are not fixed — the same person switches between them within a few messages. It is the psychological game that is the problem, not the person. The way out is assertiveness and the "Winner's Triangle" (Acey Choy: Vulnerable instead of Victim, Assertive instead of Persecutor, Caring instead of Rescuer). ScanMyLove identifies the dominant role and visualizes the switches on a color-coded timeline.
What ScanMyLove measures:
Power games, relational roles, toxic dynamics.
Understanding the model
Stephen Karpman described the drama triangle in 1968, building on Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis. Three roles trap partners during conflict: the Persecutor (blames, controls, dominates), the Victim (complains, suffers, disowns responsibility) and the Rescuer (over-helps, infantilizes, becomes indispensable). The roles are not fixed — the same person can switch between them within minutes. The problem is the game, not the people. The healthy alternative is Acey Choy’s "Winner’s Triangle": Vulnerable instead of Victim, Assertive instead of Persecutor, Caring instead of Rescuer.
The three roles and the Winner’s Triangle alternative
| Role | Typical behavior | Healthy alternative (Winner’s Triangle) |
|---|---|---|
| Persecutor | Blames, controls, criticizes | Assertive: states needs without attacking |
| Victim | Feels helpless, disowns responsibility | Vulnerable: asks for help, stays accountable |
| Rescuer | Over-helps, fixes uninvited, infantilizes | Caring: supports without taking over |
How ScanMyLove applies it
ScanMyLove tags messages that express each role — blaming and "you" statements (Persecutor), helplessness and unfairness ("it always happens to me", Victim), and over-functioning or unsolicited fixing (Rescuer). It then maps how each partner switches roles across the conversation and which role dominates.
What the report reveals
A report might show one partner oscillating between Victim and Persecutor while the other stays locked in Rescuer — a pattern that quietly drains the relationship. ScanMyLove highlights the switch points and offers Winner’s-Triangle reformulations to break the cycle.
Frequently asked questions
Are the three roles permanent?
No. The same person switches roles within a single argument — a Rescuer who feels unappreciated can flip to Persecutor, then to Victim. ScanMyLove visualizes these switches on a timeline.
Is being a Rescuer a good thing?
Not in the triangle sense. The Rescuer helps uninvited and creates dependency, which keeps the game running. The healthy version is "Caring": offering support while respecting the other’s autonomy.
How do you get out of the drama triangle?
By moving to the Winner’s Triangle (Choy): be Assertive instead of Persecuting, Vulnerable instead of playing Victim, and Caring instead of Rescuing. The ScanMyLove report suggests concrete reformulations for each detected role.
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