Beneath the Surface: The Overlooked Connection Between Domestic Violence and Sex Trafficking

By Katrina Tamez, Director of Grants

When I was a kid, my Nana loved telling my sister and me about her Alaska cruises. One story she told again and again was about a rare twin-peaked iceberg she had seen. As she showed us the photo, she explained how unusual it was to see two distinct peaks rising from the same iceberg. She always dreamed of taking us to Alaska one day so we could see it for ourselves.

Although she passed before that trip could happen, I still think about her iceberg stories.

Each October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month encourages us to recognize the many forms abuse can take. As I reflected on the connection between New Friends New Life's work and Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I found myself thinking about Nana's iceberg. Domestic violence and sex trafficking are often discussed as separate issues, much like two distinct peaks rising above the water. But beneath the surface, they share the same foundation: power, control, coercion, manipulation, isolation, and economic dependence. What appears to be two separate issues above the waterline is often part of the same iceberg below it.

When Abuse Becomes Exploitation

While sex trafficking is often portrayed as a crime perpetrated by strangers, many survivors' experiences tell a different story.

In many trafficking situations, the trafficker is not a stranger at all. They may be a romantic partner, spouse, family member, or someone who initially presents themselves as loving and supportive. What begins as an abusive relationship can escalate into commercial sexual exploitation, with the abuser using force, fraud, or coercion to profit from the survivor.

This reality highlights why the connection between domestic violence and sex trafficking is so important. The same patterns that characterize domestic violence are often present in trafficking situations as well.

Why the Connection Matters

Despite these overlaps, domestic violence and sex trafficking are often addressed separately in public conversations, funding strategies, and support systems. Too often, grantmakers, corporations, and donors organize giving around what is visible above the waterline, overlooking the interconnected realities that exist beneath the surface.

At the federal level and across philanthropy, domestic violence and human trafficking are often funded through separate systems. While those distinctions serve important purposes, they can unintentionally reinforce the perception that these issues require separate solutions, despite significant overlap in survivor experiences.

A woman fleeing an abusive partner may also be experiencing sexual exploitation. A girl who has experienced abuse, neglect, or instability at home can become especially vulnerable to grooming and trafficking. When we separate these issues too strictly, we risk overlooking survivors whose experiences do not fit neatly into a single category.

From Summer Memories to New Beginnings

By Kate Gilliland, Mental Health Clinician

When I completed my master's in counseling degree, I never thought a workday in the summer would consist of baking six homemade pizzas for a group of excited teenage girls, but it has become one of my favorite days and summer traditions! In the Youth Resource Center, we recently ended our "Summer Series", a weekly group session where our girls participate in fun activities that help them gain life skills. Imagine last week, for instance, eight girls huddled around a table painting ceramics and bursting with excitement at how their pieces would turn out. Earlier this summer, they got their hands dirty (literally) with two of our amazing Liberty Street Garden apprentices planting a variety of greens! 

What has stuck with me the most through our fun summer together is the relationships the girls have built with each other. It's not uncommon for a girl to walk through the doors of the YRC at the lowest moment of her life. She may be feeling lonely, isolated, and misunderstood. One of the things that makes New Friends New Life so special is the community that is built within the walls that travels with them long after. I love hearing the girls squeal when they see each other, laugh and sing loudly in the back of the van on the way to field trips, and cheer each other on through Phase-up ceremonies, life wins, and big events. 

I believe moments like these help prepare our youth members for a life of healing, growth, and hope. As they learn to trust one another with their joy, creativity, and new experiences, they begin to see that their past does not define who they are or who they can become. They are fun, creative, playful, and capable leaders, and these moments give them space to dream, grow, and plan for the futures they deserve.

If you have ever donated, volunteered, or given in any way, I want to sincerely thank you. The work may be long and unglamorous at times, but I promise you it is making an enormous difference in the lives of the teen girls we serve. We could not do it without you, and we are so grateful! 

The World Cup Is Almost Over. The Fight Against Trafficking Persists.

By Bianca Davis, CEO, New Friends New Life

Here in North Texas, we are in the middle of hosting millions of visitors for the FIFA Men’s World Cup. Fans from all over the world are filling our hotels, stadiums, and highways. Their presence is expected to generate an economic windfall of $2 billion into the local economy. But the excitement of hosting the world’s largest sporting event, also has the potential to exacerbate the world’s second largest and fastest growing criminal enterprise – the human trafficking industry.

The sex trade follows a proven business model of supply and demand. The hard truth is that most sex buyers are men, and the buyers create the demand. So, wherever the buyers are, the crime of compelling victims to engage in sexual acts by force, fraud, or coercion follows. In cities like Dallas, which is already a hotspot for commercial sexual exploitation, events of this massive scale do not introduce a new crime, but it certainly creates an atmosphere for an existing crime to fester, if unaddressed.

For 28 years, New Friends New Life has worked to restore and empower trafficked and exploited teen girls, women, and their children. One of the most challenging aspects of working on this issue is the sensationalism and misconceptions that surround it. We are taught to look for stranger danger — the white van in the parking lot, the kidnapping that ends with a child shipped overseas. Far more often, the story looks like this: a teenager in foster care running from one harm into another, or a young woman whose boyfriend convinces her that he loves her, and that what he is forcing her to do is reasonable and is her choice.

The World Cup arrives on top of this reality, not separate from it. If we treat the tournament as a potential four-week trafficking crisis, we will spend only four weeks on a year-round problem. But, if we treat it as a stress test, we can build infrastructure that outlasts the closing ceremony.

This is the work in front of North Texas now. As a host region, we have been working under the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee’s Human Rights framework, which covers sex and labor trafficking, homelessness, and disability access. Under this framework, scores of stakeholders, including New Friends New Life, are turning that framework into action: strengthening agency partnerships to receive hotline calls, providing shelter beds, and training intersecting industries like airlines, restaurants, hospitals, and hotels.  Collectively, we want survivors to know that there is help, and we want potential buyers to know that buying sex is a felony in Texas — even if they are visiting from places where it is not.

The most important work, though, does not end when the trophy is lifted. If the tournament leaves and the focus leaves with it, we would have wasted the moment. This season presents us with a moment to infuse and accelerate the work we have already been doing for decades now that eyes of the world are on us – literally.

This work looks like corporations ensuring that employees cannot access or view pornographic materials on company phones or laptops. Faith communities making room for survivors without shame. Parents asking their sons who they’re gaming with online. And men — our everyday men — willing to interrupt the joke or refusing to click on the online ad.

Sex trafficking thrives in the gaps a community leaves open. The World Cup will not create those gaps. It will reveal them. We must address the systemic, foundational problems that create cracks in a person’s life long before they fall into the chasm of the sex trade.

The problem is already on our doorsteps, but I believe the solutions are, too.

Action Above Intention: Why What You Do Matters Most

By Jeoff Williams, MAG Board President

My name is Jeoff Williams, and I am honored to serve as president of the Men’s Advocacy Group (MAG). This organization means something to me. More than ten years ago, while I was still serving at the Texas Department of Public Safety, I had the privilege of being part of the early work of MAG.

I want to say plainly - this work exists today because respected men like Chris Kleinert, Dr. R. Gerald Turner, Ray L. Hunt, and others who were willing to attach their names, their reputations, and their hearts to something that was not easy to talk about a decade ago.

That matters. Movements do not grow out of thin air. They grow when people with something to lose decide the mission is worth more than their comfort.

At the time, I was helping lead our first statewide Human Trafficking Unit. And I believed deeply in putting bad men in jail (and I still do). But while putting bad guys in jail was fun, I quickly realized this fight is bigger than arrests or making cases. It is bigger than the criminal justice system.

Beneath this crime is demand.

Beneath the demand is silence.

And beneath the silence is the lie that good men can remain neutral.

That is why MAG exists. MAG gives men a place to stand. A place to stand with survivors. A place to stand against demand. A place to stand in front of the culture and say, “Not here. Not around me. Not in my city.”

Today, we seem to drag almost everything into either the left or the right. This isn’t about left and right; this is about right and wrong. I want to say the uncomfortable part out loud…Buying and selling women is wrong. Grooming vulnerable girls is wrong. Treating exploitation like entertainment is wrong. That shouldn’t be controversial. It should be clarifying.

Over the last 10 years, somewhere along the way, our society started telling men that the highest possible virtue was to be harmless. Be agreeable. Quiet. Don’t offend. Don’t make anyone uncomfortable.

But harmlessness is not goodness. A harmless man avoids doing damage. A good man becomes useful in the face of damage. That is what this mission needs. Not perfect men. Thank God – because none of us are. What we need are useful men. Men with backbone. Humility. Resources. Influence. Disciplined. Men who are willing to stand for her.

And I will tell you personally that matters more to me now than it did when I was younger. These days, I take inventory more often. Maybe that comes with age. Maybe it comes from realizing I am closer to the end of my life than the beginning. And as I look back, I’m comforted by this reality that we will all be confronted with in the end - we don’t get credit for what we intended to do. We must live with what we actually did. 

Most of us hope people will measure our lives by the sum of our intentions. I wish they did, but they will not. Your life will be measured by the sum of your actions. Not what you meant to do. Not what broke your heart in private. Not what you agreed with or disagreed with quietly. What you actually did.

Scripture says, “Faith without works is dead.” Concern without action dies the same way. Compassion without action dies the same way. Conviction without action dies the same way. And I believe the Lord puts emotion in you to get you in motion.

Intentions do not rescue anyone. Actions do.

So, now I want to ask you to act. Join us. We’re not looking for men who are simply harmless; we’re looking for good men.

And then do one more thing. Think of one man. Not a category. Not some vague group. One man. Someone you know. Someone you respect. That man you’re thinking of right now is the man I want you to call. That is the man I want you to bring into this fight.

MAG members serving on valentines day

Join today. Give today. Sign up for a bus tour. Volunteer. Help us spread the word. Bring another man into the picture. Do not let this become one more thing you intended to do. Because intentions will not stand for her. Actions will.

And if you choose to stand with us, I will make you this promise: there will come a day when you will look back on that decision with gratitude.

What Every Mother Should Know About Protecting Her Children

Written by Priya Murphy, Chief Development Officer

Motherhood is one of the greatest privileges and honors of my life. As a mom to a thriving 7-year-old boy who was once a tiny, two-pound, 12-ounce preemie, I still find myself in awe of how quickly children grow.

My son entered this world through an emergency C-Section at just 32 weeks due to complications we both faced, and he spent his first month in the NICU. Cheers to all the NICU moms out there — you are some of the strongest women I know. The fear, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion that come with watching your baby fight to grow and survive changes you forever. It often creates a deep instinct to protect your child at all costs.

I will never forget the words our pediatrician told us during my son’s very first appointment after leaving the NICU:

“You are the only protection your baby has.”

She explained that because of his fragile little body (only four pounds at the time), we had to do everything possible to protect him from germs and infection. Wash our hands constantly. Limit visitors. Avoid crowded places. Make sure anyone holding him was healthy and careful. Hearing those words filled me with an overwhelming sense of responsibility. We followed every instruction diligently, and today, by God’s grace, we have a healthy and thriving 7-year-old boy.

But as my son grew, I began to realize that protecting our children goes far beyond protecting them physically. One of the greatest joys of working at New Friends New Life for nearly nine years has been witnessing the resilience of mothers and children who walk through our doors. Many of the women in our program are survivors of exploitation and trafficking, and yet they continue fighting for a better future for their children.

I remember one survivor sharing with me:

“If it weren’t for my daughter, I would have ended my life a long time ago after everything I endured.”

Her daughter became her reason to survive.

Today, that same mother is determined to create a different future for her child. She enrolled her daughter in our Youth Resource Center to help protect her from exploitation and trafficking. Every day, I get to witness healing, empowerment, and generational transformation happening right before my eyes. NFNL is helping break cycles of trauma and abuse - not just for mothers, but for their children too.

While parenting is one of life’s greatest joys, the responsibility of safeguarding our children can also feel overwhelming. In today’s world, parents must be more intentional than ever before. Online exploitation, sextortion, predators hiding behind screens, AI deepfakes, and increasing abuse against children are heartbreaking realities we cannot afford to ignore.

 When my son was only 3 years old, I began teaching him about “safe touch” and “unsafe touch.” At times, you wonder if young children truly understand what you are teaching them, but they absorb far more than we realize.

When he was 4 years old, we traveled to India to visit family. One evening, I was preparing a sermon to preach at church the next morning and wasn’t feeling well, so I asked my sister to help bathe him. A few minutes later, she came running out of the bathroom laughing and said, “Your son won’t let me wash him! He slapped my hand away and said, ‘This is not safe touch — only my mommy or daddy can touch me there.’”

I burst out laughing, but in that moment, I also felt incredibly proud.

My son understood. He remembered. And he felt empowered to speak up.

As parents, we must intentionally teach our children the skills they need to protect themselves. Predators do not always look dangerous. They can be relatives, neighbors, teachers, pastors, coaches, or strangers online pretending to be someone they are not. We can never be too cautious when it comes to protecting our children.

Most importantly, our children need to know this:

There is nothing they could ever say or do that would make us stop loving them.

Traffickers and predators often rely on shame, secrecy, fear, and isolation. But when children know their parents are a safe place without condemnation, they are far more likely to speak up when something feels wrong. Open communication can become one of the greatest forms of protection we give our children.

Here are a few resources I encourage every parent to explore:

·       10 Ways Parents Can Prevent & Identify Human Trafficking

·       21 Apps Parents Should Know About

·       7 Tips for Teaching Children Good Touch and Bad Touch

·       Sextortion: A Growing Threat Targeting Minors

Motherhood is not about living in constant fear. It is about living with wisdom, awareness, courage, and intentionality. Our children do not need perfect parents; they need present parents. Parents who are willing to have hard conversations, create safe spaces, stay informed, and fiercely protect the hearts and futures of the children entrusted to them.

To every mother reading this: trust your instincts, stay informed, and never underestimate the power of your presence in your child’s life.

Honoring Strength: A Reflection for National Women's History Month

Written by Claudia Davila, Ph. D., Chief Programs Officer

There is something profoundly powerful about being a woman, something that often goes unspoken, unnoticed, and at times, undervalued. Yet it lives in the everyday moments, in the quiet sacrifices, in the relentless resilience, in the unwavering commitment to family, work, and community.

During National Women's History Month, we pause to celebrate the achievements of women across generations, but celebration alone is not enough.  This month is also a call to recognize the lived realities behind those achievements, the barriers, the expectations, the invisible weight so many women carry every single day.  We live in a world that still reflects the structure of a patriarchal society, where even in 2026, women can find themselves fighting to be seen as equals.  Despite progress, many women continue to navigate spaces where their voices are often stifled, their contributions minimized, and their worth questioned.  And yet, they rise again and again.

Women are, without question, among the most empowered and strongest individuals I know. Not because the world has made it easy, but because they have learned to thrive despite it. They are mothers who give endlessly of themselves, often placing their children’s needs above their own dreams.  They are professionals who strive for excellence, pouring their heart and soul into their work while balancing the demands of home.  They are caregivers, leaders, problem solvers, and visionaries, frequently all at once.  And still much of what they do goes unseen.

There is an unspoken expectation that women will carry it all and carry it gracefully.  To nurture, to provide, to succeed, to sacrifice. To be everything to everyone. And while many women rise to meet these expectations with extraordinary strength, it is important to ask, at what cost?

For me, this understanding is not abstract; it is deeply personal.  I am a mother. I am a professional, and I made a deliberate choice to pursue graduate school and ultimately my doctorate because I knew the work I was called to do carried immense responsibility. I chose to work with women, to support, to advocate, and to help empower them, and I knew I needed the depth of knowledge and skill to do that work with integrity and care. Because the women I have had the privilege to work with have changed me.

Working with women who have survived profound adversity, including human rights abuses, has shown me what true resilience looks like. I have witnessed strength that cannot be taught in any classroom, strength that rises in the face of trauma, loss, and unimaginable hardship. These women continue to move forward, rebuild, hope, even when the world has given them every reason not to. They are not just survivors, they are teachers who teach about courage and perseverance, about what it means to reclaim one's voice and identity, through them I understood that empowerment is not something we give, it is something we recognize, nurture, and stand beside.

This work is also personal. I am raising a daughter, and more than anything, I want her to grow up knowing how powerful and precious it is to be a woman. I want her to understand she belongs to a community of women who are resilient, compassionate, and extraordinary in their ability to give, lead, and endure. I want her to see that her voice matters, that her dreams are valid, and that her worth is never to be questioned.

This is why recognition matters. This is why celebration matters. And this is why women supporting women matters.

Because when women uplift one another when they acknowledge each other's efforts, advocate for each other's growth, and create spaces for understanding and empowerment, something shifts. Strength multiplies; voices grow louder. Change becomes possible.

National Women's History Month is not just about looking back at the women who paved the way. It is about honoring the women who are still pushing forward today, the ones balancing careers and motherhood, the ones rebuilding their lives after hardship and traumas, the ones daring to dream bigger despite the odds. It is about recognizing that being a woman is not a limitation, but a source of profound strength.  I am proud to be a woman, proud of the resilience we carry, the love we give, and the barriers we continue to break. Proud of the quiet courage it takes to show up every day and keep going even when the world feels heavy.

This month and every month, let us choose to see women fully. To celebrate them loudly, to support them intentionally, and to never stop pushing for a world where women are not just acknowledged but truly valued, respected, and equal. Let’s uplift one another.