This episode explores the many ways that coercive control is used by unpacking scenarios of intimate partner violence and other forms of abuse. Please listen with care and take breaks as needed.

Coercive control is a destructive force that’s embedded in all aspects of relationship violence, but many do not understand what it is and how their lives are impacted by it. To help expose the inner workings of coercive control, TCFV's Prevention team is joined today by Josephine, an advocate and survivor to raise awareness of the many ways coercive control can show up. We learn about her journey with coercive control and how she broke free from it, why great support systems matter, how coercive control plays out in reproductive coercion and other nuances, and how the legal system can sometimes cause harm to survivors.

Resources from this episode:

Framed: Women in the Family Court Underworld 

Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) 

https://www.thehotline.org/ 

Coercive Control in Children's and Mothers' Lives 

Reproductive Coercion: Connecting the Dots Between Partner Violence and Unintended Pregnancy 

Reproductive Abuse and Coercion 

Reproductive coercion and abuse in intimate relationships: Women’s perceptions of perpetrator motivations 

Young people are essential to the future of advocacy and social justice, but how do we create meaningful opportunities for them to engage? In this episode of Down the Rabbit Hole, Samantha, William, and Tracie are joined by TCFV interns Mishal Ali and Veronika Croan to explore youth involvement in the movement to end domestic violence and promote social change. They dive into the challenges young people face when trying to get involved, including organizational hesitancy and lack of awareness, and share creative outreach strategies that make engagement more accessible. The conversation highlights the power of mentorship, the importance of social media as a recruitment tool, and how organizations can align their messaging with their mission to foster an inclusive and empowering culture for youth. Whether you’re an organization looking to better engage youth or a young person eager to make a difference, this episode is packed with valuable insights. Tune in to learn how to break down barriers, cultivate young leaders, and ensure that youth voices aren’t just included but heard and valued! 

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses sensitive topics, including sex trafficking, child abuse, labor trafficking, and domestic violence. Please listen with care.  

What does human trafficking really look like in our communities and how can we play a role in prevention? In this powerful episode of Down the Rabbit Hole, we are joined by Ada McCloud, a prevention practitioner with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. In our conversation, Ada sheds light on the complex realities of human trafficking and ways the public can help prevent it. She debunks common human trafficking myths, explains key definitions, and unpacks the importance of building protective factors for vulnerable people. Gain insights into how systemic vulnerabilities contribute to trafficking, how community-focused actions can create meaningful change, and the unseen dynamics of trafficking. Ada also sheds light on actionable ways to support survivors and promote accountability in our communities. Tune in and discover how you can help create safer communities for everyone.

As the holiday season approaches, creating trauma-informed spaces is more important than ever. In this episode, William and Tracie are joined by Diane Bocklage, Family Violence Services Manager at TCFV, to discuss how the ReCentered Project helps domestic violence organizations prioritize wellness for survivors and staff alike. By fostering environments of trust, support, and emotional care, ReCentering ensures that trauma-informed practices extend beyond direct services, promoting long-term healing and sustainable wellbeing for everyone involved. You’ll learn how the ReCentered Project empowers centers to make survivor-centered changes, such as revising policies, enhancing staff support, and improving program structures. This also includes offering staff wellness programs, creating supportive environments that reduce burnout, and ensuring that trauma-informed care is not only practiced with survivors but also within the staff culture. By promoting a holistic approach to wellbeing, ReCentering helps organizations build sustainable, compassionate systems that address both immediate needs and long-term healing. Tune in to learn more about how this process is shaping safer, more inclusive spaces!

This podcast contains discussions of intimate partner violence, domestic violence, homicide, and harm to adults, children, and families. Please listen with care. If you need to pause or step away, feel free to do so and return when you’re ready. 

When leaving doesn’t guarantee safety, how do we protect survivors? In this episode of Down the Rabbit Hole, we’re joined by our TCFV colleague Tabetha Harrison to break down the data from the Honoring Texas Victims (HTV) report. This year’s findings reveal the heartbreaking loss of 205 Texans to intimate partner homicide, emphasizing that no age, gender, or community is immune. From the challenges survivors face when exiting abusive relationships to the role that firearms play in these tragedies, this conversation highlights the urgent need for community-driven solutions, survivor-led responses, and system-wide change. Join us as we uncover the human stories behind the data and discuss how we can all work together to create safer, more hopeful futures for survivors and their communities. 

HTV full report: https://tcfv.org/wp-content/uploads/2023-HTV-Full-Report.pdf

HTV victim narratives: https://tcfv.org/wp-content/uploads/2023-HTV-Narratives.pdf

HTV fact sheet (English): https://tcfv.org/wp-content/uploads/Fact-Sheet-English-HTV-2023.pdf

HTV fact sheet (Spanish): https://tcfv.org/wp-content/uploads/Fact-Sheet-Spanish-HTV-2023.pdf

HTV fact sheet (Vietnamese): https://tcfv.org/wp-content/uploads/Fact-Sheet-Vietnamese-HTV-2023.pdf

It’s incredibly powerful when a survivor begins to see their true selves again and separate from the trauma they’ve experienced, and occupational therapy is an underrated lifeboat that brings calm and clarity to the tumultuous sea of domestic violence. Today, we are joined by two incredible women from Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support in Dallas – CEO Jan Langbein and Occupational Therapist Saidah Fletcher. Our guests begin with their journeys into the DV movement before detailing the inner workings of the remarkable Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support. We define occupational therapy and highlight its importance in DV, why Genesis was deliberate and urgent in hiring its own onsite occupational therapist, the benefits of occupation therapy for survivors, and some helpful advice for OTs who are active in the DV space. We end with a deeper exploration of the intersectionality between DV, OT, and improved family life, the pros and cons of having an onsite OT in DV centers, and helpful resources for OTs in DV that underline our guest’s hopes for how this episode will impact listeners.

Genesis Women's Shelter & Support  

Occupational Therapy at Genesis  

Domestic Violence at Genesis  

Conference on Crimes Against Women  

Brain Breaks with Miss S 

DVAM, IPV, DVHRT, PPC, SANE – If you’re not entrenched in the domestic violence movement, or if you're new to the movement, you might struggle to decode some of these acronyms. And even if you’re already playing your part in the movement, the learning curve can be real! Today, as we begin a new season, in Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), we will be taking a closer look at all the language within the movement. We discuss the language used here at TCFV, common acronyms that can be found across the movement, and important terminologies for survivors to understand. We also unpack how language can be isolating, how language evolves, specific terms to be aware of that may have more than one meaning, and why asking for clarification is always okay. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

Down The Rabbit Hole | ‘Domestic Violence High-Risk Teams’  

‘Honoring Texas Victims 2023’  

‘OIM - Essentials of Advocacy in Practice’ 

Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) 

This podcast explores topics of intimate partner violence, abuse, and other forms of trauma. If you have the strength to listen, please do so with care. 

The United States v. Rahimi brought about a telling ruling that could have a widespread impact on the policing of domestic and family violence cases involving firearms. To help unpack the Rahimi decision and its consequences, William and Samantha are joined by Amanda, the Legal Sub-Team Manager at TCFV, who explains how she ended up at TCFV and why she got involved in this line of work. Then, we dive into the Rahimi case and begin to understand its core issues before seeing how the case played out in various courts, the underlying issues that made advocates fearful of the final ruling, how Bruen relates to Rahimi, and the ins and outs of the Supreme Court’s decision. To end, we share everything we hope will happen next after the relief of the Rahimi verdict.  

https://tcfv.org/wp-content/uploads/TCFV-2022-HTV-Report_Final-Web2.pdf

Texas State Representative, Christian Manuel, has been

Please see the resources below:

Representative Manuel

https://www.equalitytexas.org/

https://www.transtexas.org/

In 2024, Pride is a movement, but it originated as a collection of moments when brave LGBTQ people who were experiencing severe hardships stood up for their

Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for homophobia and violence against the LGBTQ+ community and may be sensitive to some listeners. Please listen with care.