Minimization

[South park. Main ship is Craig Tucker x Kenny McCormick.]
Minimization may take the form of a manipulative technique:
-observed in abusers and manipulators to downplay their misdemeanors when confronted with irrefutable facts
-observed in abusers and manipulators to downplay positive attributes (talents and skills etc.) of their victims and facilitate victim blaming

Minimization may also take the form of cognitive distortion:
-that avoids acknowledging and dealing with negative emotions by reducing the importance and impact of events that give rise to those emotions
-that avoids conscious confrontation with the negative impacts of one's behavior on others by reducing the perception of such impacts
-that avoids interpersonal confrontation by reducing the perception of the impact of others' behavior on oneself.

It is frequently observed in victims of a trauma who use it to downplay that trauma so as to avoid worry and stress in themselves and others