Mary Twis
MSW Program Director and Associate Professor | Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX, UNITED STATES
Dr. Twis specializes in research on human trafficking.
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Biography
Mary Twis is an associate professor in the Department of Social Work at TCU, where she researches human trafficking prevention and intervention strategies. She has specific subject matter expertise in sex trafficking, having published over 30 refereed articles and presented at over 25 international and national conferences on the topic. Twis is a licensed social worker with 15 years of experience as a researcher, educator and collaborator with nonprofits and public sector agencies involved in anti-trafficking efforts.
Areas of Expertise (9)
Human Trafficking
Youth Sex Trafficking
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking
Homelessness and Human Trafficking
Violence and Human Trafficking
Trauma
Trauma Informed Care
Violence Prevention
Program Evaluation
Accomplishments (4)
Award Winner & University Nominee, Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences Research and Creativity Award (professional)
2024
Social Work Department Nominee, Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences Research and Creativity Award (professional)
2023
TCU Nominee, Moore Inventor Fellowship Program (professional)
2022
Nominee, Wassenich Award for Mentoring in the TCU Community (professional)
2020
Education (3)
University of Texas at Arlington: Ph.D., Social Work 2018
University of Texas at Arlington: MSSW, Social Work 2010
Texas State University: BSW, Social Work 2007
Affiliations (5)
- Council on Social Work Education
- Society for Social Work and Research
- National Association of Social Workers
- Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society
- Phi Alpha Honors Society
Links (2)
Media Appearances (4)
New Look At Factors That May Lead To Sex Trafficking
The Dallas Express online
2024-09-01
Tarrant County’s 5 Stone Taskforce’s recent meeting featured research from a local sex trafficking educational leader on what drives trafficking to different communities. The keynote speaker was Dr. Mary Twis from Texas Christian University (TCU).
Overcoming the Complexities of Trafficking Recovery
The Academic Minute online
2024-08-29
On Texas Christian University Week: Sex trafficking survivors face a long and complex recovery. Mary Twis, master of social work program director and associate professor, determines what brings about best outcomes.
Bipartisan bill would require human trafficking hotline to be posted in every U.S. port of entry
The 19 th News online
2022-12-02
Mary Twis, an assistant professor of social work at Texas Christian University who studies and has worked with sex trafficking survivors, said the increased signage will certainly raise awareness among the public and will hopefully lead to more arrests. However, she said, the government needs to work towards “reducing systemic inequalities” that lead to the targeting of “entire subpopulations of people.”
“Sex Trafficking: Don’t Neglect the Victims”
The Crime Report
2022-10-04
On the heels of a high-profile case in Florida, Mary Twis, assistant professor of social work, composed an op-ed for The Crime Report where she discussed her research on sex trafficking and what makes it so difficult to stop the tragic cycle.
Event Appearances (3)
A qualitative exploration of sex trafficking myths in Israeli newspaper media
2025 | Society for Social Work and Research Seattle, WA
Built and social environmental risk and protective factors associated with youth sex trafficking
2025 | Society for Social Work and Research Seattle, WA
Coping self-efficacy and social support as predictors of adolescent sex trafficking exit: Results of a longitudinal study
2023 | Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conferen Phoenix, AZ
Research Grants (3)
TCU Invests in Scholarship Grant
TCU Office of Sponsored Program $20,000
2022
Equity Project
Contractor Tarrant County Homeless Coalition $11,490
2020
Junior Faculty Summer Research Program
TCU Office of Sponsored Program $6,000
2020
Articles (5)
Coping self-efficacy and social support as predictors of adolescent sex trafficking exit: Results of a secondary analysis
PLOS ONE2024 Social work case management services are increasingly available to youth who want to exit commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). However, few empirical studies investigate the efficacy of such services, particularly whether these services promote an exit from CSE. Guided by ecological systems theory and the Intentions to Exit Prostitution (IEP) model, this study investigates the efficacy of social work case management services for youth CSE survivors.
Beyond Victim Identification: A Practitioner’s Guide to Designing a Youth Anti-Sex Trafficking Advocacy Program
Social Work in Public Health2024 Thousands of youth are sexually trafficked each year in the United States. In order to address this concern, anti-trafficking advocates often emphasize the importance of uniform screening protocols to assist with the identification of survivors. Unfortunately, an oft-overlooked component of sex trafficking identification is what to do once a victim has been identified, and how to best meet survivors’ complex needs.
Perceptions of homelessness and housing solutions: a web-based survey methodology to inform local housing policy
Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness2023 Discrepancies between homelessness perception and reality, as well as policymakers’ assumptions about their constituents’ perceptions, may contribute to policies that exacerbate homelessness and its negative outcomes. To counter these discrepancies, this manuscript introduces a mixed-methods, cross-sectional research protocol that is designed to assess local community member perceptions of and attitudes towards homelessness and potential housing solutions.
Defiance and Strength: A Qualitative Study of Sex Trafficking Survivor–Advocate Coping Strategies
Violence and victims2023 In the two decades since federal law prohibited the trafficking of humans for sexual or nonsexual services, researchers have generated knowledge related to the mental and physical health consequences of the experience, the individual and environmental factors that facilitate exploitation, and the best practices for prevention and intervention. Despite these advances in knowledge about human trafficking, relatively scant research has explored the resiliencies of survivors, as a deficit-based narrative persists when exploring and contemplating survivor experiences.
Race and retention in permanent supportive housing: a secondary analysis of housing outcomes
Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment2023 Despite the overrepresentation of People of Color among people experiencing homelessness and ongoing housing discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities, research has paid scant attention to the intersections of race and homelessness, including assessments of race-related outcomes of permanent supportive housing (PSH), a mainstay homeless assistance program in the U.S. The purpose of this study, therefore, framed by the Public Health Critical Race praxis, was to use secondary Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data obtained from a Continuum of Care in North Texas to explore the intersections of race and PSH outcomes.
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