The Drama Triangle

The drama triangle is a model of dysfunctional social interaction, created by Stephen Karpman
(1968). Each point on the triangle represents a common and ineffective response to perceived
conflict, one more likely to prolong disharmony than to end it. He suggests that whenever people
play (psychological) games, with each other, they are stepping into one of three roles: Victim,
Rescuer or Persecutor. People who communicate within a drama triangle create misery for
themselves and others.

Victims appear helpless and hopeless. They deny responsibility for their negative circumstances, and
deny possession of the power to change them.

The Victim will seek a persecutor to put him down and push him around. Or the Victim may be in
search of a rescuer, who will offer help and confirm the Victim’s belief: “I can’t cope on my own’.
A Victim discounts herself. If she is seeking a Persecutor, then she agrees with the Persecutor’s
discounts and views herself as someone worthy to be rejected and belittled. The Victim seeking a
Rescuer will believe that she needs the Rescuer’s help in order to think straight, act or make
decisions.
How to recognise a Victim
 “I’m helpless/hopeless/awful/ terrible/useless”
 Discounts themselves and their resources
 I’m no ok, you’re ok attitude
 Believes they can’t think and feel at the same time

Ailbhe Harrington & Associates The Drama Triangle

Materials adapted with permission from Karen Pratt TA Matters Page 1

 A victim seeks a persecutor to put them down and they seek a rescuer to confirm their belief of
not coping
 A victim does less than 50% of the work

Rescuers are constantly applying short-term repairs to a Victim’s problems, while neglecting their
own needs. She believes: I have to help others because they’re not capable of helping themselves’.
How to recognize the Rescuer:
 “I’ll do it for you” “No.. I insist, really it’s no trouble..” “Let me do that for you”
 I’m ok, you’re not ok attitude
 Discounts the autonomy of the Victim and their power to help themselves
 Believes their own needs are not important and discounts these as well
 A rescuer does more than 50% of the work

A Persecutor is someone who puts other people down and belittles them. Persecutors blame the
Victims and criticize the enabling behaviour of Rescuers, without providing guidance, assistance or a
solution to the underlying problem.
How you would recognise a Persecutor. Words and behaviours you would hear / see:
 “I can make you do it”!
 I’m ok you’re not ok attitude
 Believes they can make others do things
 They ‘blame’ others a lot
 Are mobilized by anger
 Rigid, authoritative stance

All three of these roles are in-authentic. When people are in one of these roles, they are responding
to the past rather than to the here-and-now. They are using old, un-helpful strategies they decided
upon as children or took on board from their parents.
Players often alternate roles during the course of a game. For example, a Rescuer pushed too far by
a Persecutor might switch to the role of Victim, the persecutor might then become a Rescuer, and
the Victim might switch to Persecutor. The most important aspect is the switch in roles that occurs

Ailbhe Harrington & Associates – The Drama Triangle

Adapted with permission from Karen Pratt TA Matters Page 2

as this is what makes it a game and what causes bad feelings. The switch can take a moment, a
month or a few years.

Victims depend on a saviour, Rescuers yearn for a basket case and Persecutors need a scapegoat.
While a healthy person will perform in each of these roles occasionally, consistent Drama Triangle
role-players actively avoid leaving the familiar and comfortable environment of the game. Thus, if no
recent misfortune has befallen them or their loved ones, they will often create one. Victims suffer a
series of “accidents” and Rescuers engage in noble self-sacrifice, while Persecutors are just
“keeping it real“.
In each case, the drama triangle is an instrument of destruction.

How to increase awareness and plan new options (adapted from John James and Colin Brett)
 What keeps happening to us over and over again?
 How does it start?
 What happens next?
 Then what happens?
 How do you feel?
 How do you think the other person feels?
 What do you think the hidden messages are?
 What do you really want to say to this person?
 What do you think they want to say to you?
 How does it end?
 How do I feel when it ends?
 How else might you behave in the beginning in order to get a more constructive result?

The Winners Triangle or Potency Pyramid

Choy (1990) described the positive and valid aspects to each role. The Victim has a problem which
needs to be solved, the Rescuer feels a real concern for others and the Persecutor wants to be
powerful as well as define boundaries. This calls for new strategies, which enable one to leave the
game playing arena of the Drama Triangle and invites authenticity.

Be Vulnerable / Voice your feelings (instead of a Victim)

 Ask honestly for what you need instead of hoping someone else will tell us

 Comes from Natural Child ego state and problem solves

Ailbhe Harrington & Associates – The Drama Triangle

Adapted with permission from Karen Pratt TA Matters Page 3

Become Caring / Responsive (instead of a Rescuer)

 Support others instead of doing it for them; ask how you can help; have genuine concern

 Uses Positive Nurturing Parent ego state and listens

Become Assertive / Proactive / Powerful (instead of a Persecutor)

 Make it clear what needs to happen, without blame, aggression or punishment

 Define boundaries and know that your own needs are important

 Uses Positive structuring Parent ego state and is assertive

We need to note the difference between Rescuing and authentic helping.

Rescuer Helper (“OK Rescuing”)
Helps without asking Asks what is needed
Does more than 50% of the work Does less than 50% of the work
Takes too much responsibility Does not take more responsibility than her
share
Comes from I+U- position – no real respect Comes from I+U+ position - shows respect
Doesn’t really believe the person can help Believes the person has the power to help
himself himself

Ailbhe Harrington & Associates – The Drama Triangle

Adapted with permission from Karen Pratt TA Matters Page 4