Down the Rabbit Hole

While we may focus our efforts on young people, there is support and education for survivors across the lifespan. Jamie Wright had degrees behind her name and had reared adult children by the time she found herself in crisis. Today, she is a survivor who speaks, advocating for others experiencing and recovering from domestic abuse. She joins the conversation today to share her story, along with insights from her research in her hometown in Southeast Oklahoma. We discuss prevention and accountability for adults and how Jamie’s story breaks the mold of preconceived ideas about what a survivor looks like. Jamie reveals what is behind her commitment to giving a voice to those who cannot use their voice, and we delve deeper into the misconceptions about survivors that sometimes prevent them from accessing the support they need. Join us today to hear all this and more.

During this episode, our guest shares the details of her experiences as a survivor. Please listen with care.

https://jamierwright.com/

TW: This podcast explores topics of intimate partner violence, abuse, and other forms of trauma. Please listen with care.

For this year’s Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, we wanted to take a closer look at social media and dating violence relationships, and how the two intersect and overlap. Today we are joined by two members of our TCFV Prevention team– Lalitha and Viv. Together with today’s hosts Samantha and William, our guests describe their first experience of social media, how the platforms and the way we use social media have evolved, how social media breeds entitlement and impacts relationships, and an assessment of the dangers of being online. We also take a closer look at how abuse manifests on social media, how to set yourself up for safer online experiences, the role of caretakers in supporting their dependents who are on social media, and our hosts and guests all weigh-in with some practical and advice for how to navigate social media while in a relationship

This podcast explores topics of homicide, intimate partner violence, abuse, and other forms of trauma. As you are listening, please do so with care and take a break if you need it. 

Released in October 2023, Honoring Texas Victims (HTV) reveals Texas' intimate partner fatality statistics from 2022 and share the victims' stories. Today, we are joined by two of its compilers and TCFV Support to Service Providers team members, Mikisha Hooper and Sarah Hilderbrand. They are here to share their findings from HTV 2022 and to discuss further actions for violence prevention in Texas. Mikisha and Sarah explain why leaving a relationship is a treacherous period for victims of abuse, how the age ranges of intimate partner abuse perpetrators reveal just how dire the situation is, why we need to stop using age to deflect the real truth, and all the details relating to firearms that can be found in HTV 2022. We also explore the responsibility of law enforcement, the challenges of identifying prohibited gun possessors, the importance of accountability, and some things TCFV is doing to raise awareness of violence prevention in Texas.

You can find links to the 2022 report, fact sheets, and narratives here: https://tcfv.org/publications/.

If you have any questions about this episode or the HTV report, please email us at prevention@tcfv.org.

Join the TCFV crew as we cover various topics and how they intersect with gender-based violence. This episode will feature Deb Butts, our Finance Manager, and Ryan Thomas, our Grants Writer, as they discuss some of the basics as well as the more nuanced, and sometimes confusing, pieces of Finance and Grants within family violence programs.

Federal Funding Sources for Family Violence Centers & BIPPS:

https://tcfv.org/wp-content/uploads/tcfv_federal_funding_sources_flowchart_2021.pdf

Bookkeeping Toolkit:

https://tcfv.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Nuts-and-Bolts-of-Bookkeeping-A-Toolkit_Complete_v3.pdf

William and Samantha are excited to launch Season 4 of DTRH during this upcoming Domestic Violence Awareness Month! We'll be launching this season with a bonus episode to celebrate Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day on 10/11/23. Regular episodes will air every third Wednesday of the month, beginning 10/18/23. Come join us Down the Rabbit Hole!

Trigger Warning: This episode deals with domestic violence, survivors and offenders, and the military. 

Our TCFV colleague Tabetha joins us today to explore issues of domestic violence in the military. Tabetha uses her experience and expertise in the military, as a law enforcement officer, and as a survivor advocate to compare and contrast the military response to domestic violence with civilian responses. She points out some surprising dimensions to this conversation that might not occur to civilians, such as the impact of foreign residence, law enforcement differences, and more, while also shouting out some meaningful progress and improvements that have been made in recent years. Tabetha advocates for compassionate and survivor-centered solutions, and at the end of the episode, she shares a little of her vision and hopes for the future.

If you have questions about this episode, please email us at prevention@tcfv.org.

This podcast explores topics of gender-based violence and other forms of abuse. Please take care of yourself as you listen and take a break if needed.

Parenting is one of those milestones in life that once it starts, it never stops. Being a parent can be extremely difficult for a multitude of reasons. How can being involved in the movement against family violence help you be a better parent? To help answer this question, Samantha is joined by fellow TCFV colleagues and mothers Mikisha Hooper and Barbra Grimmer. The trio begins by sharing their embarrassing and humbling parental moments before exploring the wealth of support that is available to parents at TCFV and how their jobs help them improve their parental techniques. We discuss the benefits of an advocacy mindset, the right ways to set boundaries and create space, the perils of gender socialization, and the dangers of the societal norms that allow gender-based violence to flourish. All in all, the advocacy work that Barbra, Mikisha, and Samantha do influences how they choose to parent due to their deep understanding of respect and power dynamics. They also use their experiences as parents to inform their advocacy, policy suggestions, and prevention education. For more on how to teach kids the importance of their own values, why kids deserve the same grace and consideration as adults, and how to build an environment that allows your children to flourish as their unique selves, be sure to tune in!

If you have questions about this episode, please email us at prevention@tcfv.org.

Please be advised that this episode carries a trigger warning for domestic violence, religious trauma, violence in relationships, and conversations around offenders and perpetrators, and some listeners may find this upsetting.

Today we welcome Reverend Gen onto the show to talk about the role of faith leaders and communities in helping survivors and promoting offender accountability. In the context of the gender dynamics that are still present in so many religious settings, we see this area of the church's work as a great opportunity to offer support to those who need it most. In our conversation with Reverend Gen, we talk about the twisting of religious texts into justifications of harm, how we as faith communities can come together to prevent dangerous situations, shifting the culture of powerlessness and disengagement, and why domestic violence is not a private issue. There are so many areas that require further attention when it comes to the danger many women face, and one of the primary factors is shifting our understanding of harm in the home, and making these spaces safer for all inhabitants. The episode also explores the links between different types of abuse, their relation to cultures of power and control, and how more women in leadership positions can impact positive change, so to hear it all on this important topic, join us today.

For more information or to get Reverend Gen's contact information, you can email us at prevention@tcfv.org.

Please be advised that this episode carries a trigger warning for domestic violence and covers topics that some listeners may find upsetting.

There are many conversations surrounding what education on domestic violence and sexual assault in schools should look like, but has anyone ever considered what the students want? February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month (TDVAM), a month-long campaign focused on raising awareness about teen dating abuse. This is a problem that does not only impact teens but also their friends, parents, and communities. To help us unpack this complex topic is TCFV Youth Board Member Mackenzie Splawn, the outreach manager for a non-profit called First Step of Wichita Falls, which aims to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault and provides a haven and support for survivors. Being a teen, Mackenzie provides a unique perspective as we delve into what students need regarding domestic violence and sexual abuse education and what schools could be doing differently. We discuss the type of conversations parents and teachers should be having with kids and why young people may be hesitant to talk about sex and relationships. We explore what schools should include in the curriculum, why we should trust young people, removing restrictions for educators to do their job, and much more. Tune in to hear more from this special conversation with Mackenzie Splawn.

TCFV Teen Dating Violence Toolkit- https://s.tiled.co/0qidZv5/teen-dating-violence-digital-toolkit

Love is Respect- https://www.loveisrespect.org/get-involved/tdvam/

TCFV Prevention email- prevention@tcfv.org

Welcome back to Down the Rabbit Hole, our first episode of season three! Today, we will be talking to the prevention team about potentially triggering topics surrounding prevention and behavioral changes. We discuss how behavioral change could be possible, why challenging belief systems is a nuanced task, why adults also need prevention education, and the false separation between prevention and intervention services. Evidence-based curriculums are difficult to debate due to their very nature, but we conclude that they still need to evolve to become more inclusive of the people they neglect to represent. You’ll learn why victim blaming is a slippery slope, why prevention needs to be prevalent at all levels of an organization, how those outside the scope can be useful allies, and why there is a need to critically assess the misrepresentations that are endemic to mainstream media. To hear all about our fears and phobias and to understand why prevention education is so important, tune in now! Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for domestic violence.

We are excited to announce that Season 3 is coming this month! October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) and is the perfect time for a season 3 launch. Season 3 will bring some changes... fewer episodes, longer episodes, and new voices, but as always we will be having some great conversations. We celebrate you coming back for a third season of DTRH, and if this is your first we hope you enjoy it. We wish everyone a safe DVAM. Welcome to the Movement!

**Stat correction: Just under 40% of survivors in Texas who seek shelter are turned away due to lack of space.**

Welcome to the final episode of Down The Rabbit Hole Season 2! Today, Sarah and Victoria join Samantha and William in a battle royale of MSWs and MPHs (Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health)! In all seriousness, in this episode we explore the differences and similarities in the ways the public health and social work fields approach advocacy and violence prevention. Tuning in you’ll hear about our failures during our studies, the paths we took following receiving our Master’s degrees, how to become a licensed social public health worker, and how you can tailor your own journey. We also delve into working before receiving your degree, the benefits of doing so, the dangers of lack of community-based research, the different types of research used, and why the collaboration of the entire system is imperative to end violence. Finally, we share some tips for anyone looking to get their MPH or MSW. To hear all this and more, press play now!

LGBTQ+ inclusive services and policies are essential to help people understand members of the LGBTQ+ community, increase the safety and security of LGBTQ+ people, and ultimately create a more inclusive world. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning as we discuss some sensitive topics such as suicide due to lack of acceptance of gender identity and sexual orientation. Today on Down The Rabbit Hole, we are joined by Leslie McMurray. Leslie, among many things, is the Transgender Education and Advocacy Associate at Resource Center--the largest LGBTQ+ service organization in Texas. Tuning in this pride month you will hear about the policies Leslie uses to help businesses become more LGBTQ+ inclusive, the importance of accepting people for who they are, as well as why empathy and compassion is essential. We also discuss why there is no ‘right time’ to come out and the importance of having support systems for people of all ages discovering their gender identity and sexuality. Finally, we delve into gender care for children and how it is handled. Join us to do your part in filling the world with love and pride!

Welcome back to Down the Rabbit Hole! During today’s episode, we talk about something we have never talked about - DVHRTs, or Domestic Violence High-Risk Teams. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for domestic violence and related topics. Today’s guest is our colleague, Dr. David Scott. Join us to hear how he came to train officers on Domestic Violence High-Risk Teams before becoming a policy coordinator. We discuss what a DVHRT is and why leaving domestic violence incidents to the police to manage is insufficient. Dr. Scott shares the goal of DVHRTs - which is to take the guesswork out of domestic violence cases - and reveals how he goes about matching teams to specific cases. We touch on funding, community resources, and dive into some meaningful statistics as well as how these statistics show us the importance of DVHRTs. TW: For listeners who wish to avoid detailed statistics around domestic violence, please skip audio between [00:40:38] and [00:41:51].

Claire and Samantha join William on the podcast today to explore the theme of how masculinity is represented in popular media. Please be aware that this episode includes references to abusive and violent behavior towards women and this may be triggering and upsetting for certain listeners, we advise that if you want to skip certain portions to go ahead and do that. We start off the chat by getting some background from our co-hosts and how they became involved in TCFV before diving into the topic of toxic masculinity and how it crops up in some of the most popular TV shows. Another warning: we will be discussing content and events in a few different TV shows and movies, and there are some spoilers! The majority of today's discussion is centered on the contemporary series, You, and the problematic nature of the antagonist in the show. We talk about the mixed feelings this brings up for us, and how to best approach this ambivalence. Our conversation also covers themes of money and guilt, outdated elements to our favorite old shows, and how media influences young people and their idea of societal standards and norms. So to hear it all on this important subject, listen in with us as we go Down the Rabbit Hole!

If you have any questions about this episode, please email us at prevention@tcfv.org.

If you're curious, here is the article Samantha referenced early on in the episode: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/01/when-pop-culture-sells-dangerous-myths-about-romance/549749/

This week, in continued recognition of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), three youth leaders take over our podcast to discuss youth leadership advocacy and activism. Tune in to hear about the challenges each of our guests have faced as teenagers advocating for themselves, and what their experience of backlash has looked like. You’ll hear how they have fought back and inspired others to do the same, and why they believe that teens are uniquely positioned to support other teens. Tune in to hear what they recommend if you want to get involved in youth leadership and how they have been affected by mentorship in their lives. We hope you join us to hear some more insights from these inspiring young people today and that you feel inspired with new ways to engage youth during the rest of TDVAM and beyond.

If you have any questions about this episode or would like engage Santino, Vivian, or Noah in a speaking event or training, please email us at prevention@tcfv.org.

Today's episode of Down The Rabbit Hole is about the intersection between traumatic brain injury (TBI) in people who have experienced domestic abuse, and an invaluable healing modality called neurofeedback. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for domestic violence. Joining us we have two experts who are widely experienced in the field of helping survivors heal: Josh Brown from Fort Bend Women's Center and Abeer Monem from the Harris Country Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. We start by learning that neurofeedback (also known as neurotherapy) teaches self-control of brain functions to develop healthier emotional patterns, before diving into the program that Abeer and Josh created that is pushing neurotherapy to the frontline of survivor care and support. You'll hear Abeer describe the lightbulb moment when she realized the missing neurological information necessary for her patients' healing, how she teamed up with Josh Brown, and the long road that led to the creation of the program. We also touch on issues of transport and hear some visionary steps to create much-needed mobile advocacy services. Finally, you'll hear some moving testimonies of the truly transformational impact that neurofeedback has! Join us for another inspiring conversation highlighting the incredible work that's driving healing care.

Find the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council online at hcdvcc.org, and the Fort Bend Women's Center at fbwc.org.

Other resources mentioned in this episode include the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (nrcdv.org) and VAWnet (vawnet.org).

If you want more information on this episode, you can email us at prevention@TCFV.org.
You can also reach out to Josh (jbrown@fbwc.org) and Abeer (abeermonem@hcdvcc.org) directly. 

This week on Down the Rabbit Hole we are joined by one of our star young people, Santino Camacho, who has been engaged with TCFV on multiple levels, to talk about the important topic of youth advocacy and engagement. As adults, we often lose touch with how busy young people can be and the immense pressure they are under. Not only are they occupied with school work, socializing, and getting ready for college, but they’re also figuring out what they’d like to do with their lives. In our conversation, we discuss why you should never pigeonhole yourself, no matter your age, and unpack some of the important benefits of becoming involved with advocacy. We explore the many ways that young people can get involved, like leadership and volunteering, and reflect on some of the challenges that can come with advocacy work. Santino also speaks to his experience as a young man who has never experienced domestic violence, how he came to be involved in advocacy, and ways to encourage young people to engage with movements that aren’t directly related to their experiences. To learn more about youth advocacy, how to nurture engagement, and Santino’s insights on collaboration and coaching, tune in today! Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for dating and domestic violence.

Today we are very excited to share an amazing and hope-inspiring conversation with all of our listeners! We are joined by Dr. Leila Wood and Dr. Jeff Temple from The University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Violence Prevention to talk about the latest research on domestic violence and how this can help us all make meaningful progress in improving people's lives! We get into some of the impactful findings that Leila and Jeff have been working with, as well as some of the academic work on the horizon, as we situate the most notable developments in prevention strategies and practices for children, emerging adults, and adults too. Leila and Jeff unpack the important idea of a broader prism of prevention, noting the various prongs of economic and structural actions that can make a difference in homes. We also hear about how opening the lens through which we view preventative action can have immediate effects and underlines the importance of accessible research. The conversation touches on the five goals of prevention, a hugely important framework that deserves its own episode entirely! So, to hear it all, be sure to listen in with us and our great guests! Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning, as we refer to child abuse, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault.

UTMB Center for Violence Prevention: https://www.utmb.edu/cvp/home
Follow Dr. Wood on Twitter @LeilaWoodWood
Follow Dr. Temple on Twitter @DrJeffTemple

You can always contact us at prevention@tcfv.org or check out our website at tcfv.org for more information!

Down the Rabbit Hole welcomes Sarah and Mikisha back this year to discuss the most recent Honoring Texas Victims (HTV) report--TCFV's annual intimate partner violence (IPV) fatality report--which was released October 2021. The report identifies the IPV homicides in 2020 in Texas and provides statistics, analysis, and commentary on the victims, the perpetrators, risk and protective factors, and trends in the data. In addition to discussing the report, Sarah and Mikisha talk about the challenges COVID continues to present for domestic violence services and research.

To find the HTV fact sheet, narratives, and full report, please visit the TCFV website: https://tcfv.org/publications/.

If you'd like to connect with us about HTV or any other information relayed in this report, email us at prevention@tcfv.org.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time when anti-violence advocates work hard to bring attention to an issue that continues to affect our communities; but it’s also an important opportunity to understand how systems of oppression are interconnected. For the first episode in season two of Down the Rabbit Hole, William and guest host, Rita, are joined by Brenda Sykes, Executive Director of Bay Area Turning Point (BATP), to discuss the intersection between racial (in)equity and domestic violence. Listen in as Brenda reflects on the importance of bringing a racial justice framework to our efforts to end domestic violence, highlighting the inherent violence associated with elevating the voices of BIPOC communities, who are disproportionately impacted by DV, and the importance of examining the relationship that the anti-violence movement has with law enforcement. We also touch on the importance of self-reflection, collective action, and collaboration, and why being honest about the history of the movement and your organizations is critical. Brenda leaves non-BIPOC advocates with some words of advice: just because you inherit less risk by elevating your voice, it doesn’t mean you need to step in as a savior! For more on the importance of examining our roles within systems of power and oppression, tune in today for this informative and candid discussion with Brenda Sykes, a true leader in the anti-violence space!

You can check out Bay Area Turning Point online at bayareaturningpoint.org.

We are still working in a virtual space, so please be patient with us as we continue to work through technical issues with microphones and recordings.

If you have any questions about this episode, you can reach out to us at prevention@tcfv.org.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and today is Go Purple Day. We hope you're wearing your purple, and we are excited to announce that after a long break, Down the Rabbit Hole is back! Listen to this quick preview to learn about some of the changes coming this season. Whether you are a regular listener or you're brand new, we look forward to sharing this season's discussions about gender-based violence, social inequities, and prevention with you!

Thank you. As this season of Down the Rabbit Hole comes to an end, listen along as Sarah and William reflect on their podcasting journey and express gratitude for the massive amount of support they received. While it's not a blooper reel, his episode is being released (mostly) unedited to give you a small look behind the curtain to give some insight into the podcasting process and a raw glimpse of Sarah's and William's cohosting dynamics.

We appreciate you coming along down all of the rabbit holes this season and hope that you have learned and laughed along the way. As always if you want to reach out to us about this episode or any others, you can send an email to prevention@tcfv.org.

It's PRIDE month! This week Roy Rios--prevention manager at TCFV--joins the podcast to talk about the the intersection of masculinity and the LGBTQ community. Following the rabbit hole where it leads, the discussion morphs into a conversation about the need for queer representation in media and in prevention work.

From everyone here at Down the Rabbit Hole, we wish everyone a safe and happy PRIDE!

To connect with us about this episode, email us at prevention@tcfv.org.

In honor of PRIDE month, here are some Texas-based LGBTQ-serving organizations you need to know:

Equality Texas: https://www.equalitytexas.org/
Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT): https://www.transtexas.org/
Lambda Legal: https://www.lambdalegal.org/states-regions/texas
allgo: https://allgo.org/
Out Youth: https://www.outyouth.org/
Fiesta Youth: http://www.fiesta-youth.org/
Open Arms Rape Crisis Center & LGBT+ Services: https://openarmscv.com/
Dallas Resource Center: https://www.myresourcecenter.org/
Montrose Center: https://www.montrosecenter.org/
South Texas Equality Project (STEP): http://rgvresourcelist.com/

Barbra Grimmer and Shellie Ryan--TCFV CPS Policy Team--join Sarah and William this week to talk about Barbra's and Shellie's partnership and the greater collaboration between the domestic violence advocacy and child welfare systems. They discuss their learning journeys, including successes and pitfalls. Together they all reflect on the issues which arise at the intersection of these two, oftentimes very different, systems.

If you have any questions or want to discuss this topic further, please reach out to us at prevention@tcfv.org.

To learn more about Safe and Together or to attend one of their trainings, go to https://safeandtogetherinstitute.com/.

Here are two resources specific to the partnership of child welfare and domestic violence advocacy in Texas:

https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/handbooks/CPS/Resource_Guides/Domestic_Violence_Resource_Guide.pdf
https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/handbooks/CPS/Resource_Guides/Disposition_Guidelines_for_Domestic_Violence_Resource_Guide.pdf

Why is the transition from high school to college so important? This is a critical time in young people's lives which provides an amazing opportunity for growth, learning, and relationship building. How can prevention workers, advocates, and other adults maximize this time period to help young people smoothly begin their transitions into adulthood? Sarah and William welcome Hamza Iqbal and Tiffany Storm to discuss all of these things and more. Listen along as they follow this particular rabbit hole's path.

If you have any questions about the episode or want to offer additional thoughts, please reach out to us at prevention@tcfv.org.

Jen Lawson is an Assistant Principal at a high school outside of Texas. She joins Sarah and William this week to talk about the school to prison pipeline--a term that describes the increasing prevalence of schools becoming the settings of young people's first interaction with the law enforcement, criminal justice, and juvenile detention systems. Jen, Sarah, and William share their thoughts on what factors might contribute to this pipeline and hypothesize some possible solutions.

If you are interested in furthering this conversation, please reach out to prevention@tcfv.org.

You can learn more about the school to prison pipeline with these resources:

NAACP's Legal Defense Fund: https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/Dismantling_the_School_to_Prison_Pipeline__Criminal-Justice__.pdf

National Education Association: https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/school-prison-pipeline-time-shut-it-down

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund: https://dredf.org/legal-advocacy/school-to-prison-pipeline/

ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/issues/juvenile-justice/school-prison-pipeline?redirect=racial-justice/what-school-prison-pipeline

Tech-enabled or tech-facilitated abuse can be terrifying, overwhelming, and intimidating to confront. This week Sarah and William welcome Adam Dodge, founder and CEO of EndTAB, to talk about some ways tech-enabled abuse is wielded by perpetrators and ways advocates and prevention workers can approach this huge topic. By consistently applying a prevention lens, Adam helps to make this conversation more accessible for everyone.

Email prevention@tcfv.org with any comments or feedback on this episode or to keep the conversation going.

You can find more resources on tech-enabled abuse at endtab.org.