Get Help and Support
If someone is in immediate danger, call or text 911.
If you need help, support, or want to report concerns, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
You can also find information on warning signs, available resources, and how to report concerns on this page.
Building on Massachusetts’ Five-Year Plan
In January 2026, the Commonwealth announced its Five-Year Statewide Plan to Address Sex Trafficking, a statewide roadmap focused on preventing exploitation, supporting survivors, improving coordination, and holding traffickers and exploiters accountable. The plan was informed by survivors, advocates, service providers, law enforcement, researchers, and state agencies, and is grounded in survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and multi-system approaches.
The World Cup effort builds on that foundation and applies it to a major global event through planning, training, public awareness, coordinated response, and support services.
A Coordinated, Whole-of-Government Effort
As part of World Cup preparations, Massachusetts is advancing a coordinated Human Trafficking Preparedness Plan focused on the public safety and victim and survivor support needs related to both sex and labor trafficking for adults and youth. This effort is intended to identify risks, develop mitigation steps, and strengthen prevention, response, victim services, and public awareness.
To help guide this work, Massachusetts established a multi-agency Human Trafficking Work Group. Convened by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the group brings together partners from state, local, and federal government, law enforcement, public health, transportation, victim services, labor, and community organizations, including the Attorney General’s Office, Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, Boston 26, municipal partners, federal partners, and survivor-informed and community-based organizations.
Massachusetts is advancing this work as part of Match Ready Massachusetts, with a focus on prevention, awareness, support, and clear public guidance.
What Massachusetts Is Doing Now
Massachusetts and its partners are advancing initiatives that strengthen readiness before and during the tournament and help build long-term statewide capacity.
Current efforts include:
- first responder guidance to help identify sex and labor trafficking
- a list of available human trafficking trainings and additional frontline training
- labor rights outreach and worker education
- public awareness campaigns, signage, and digital outreach
- a dedicated public page with warning signs, help information, and resources
- coordinated law enforcement, victim, and survivor response
- training for frontline transportation personnel
- expanded trauma-informed clinical support
- $390,000 in Office of Grants and Research funding for direct service providers supporting victims and survivors
Training and Preparedness
Massachusetts is preparing frontline personnel to better recognize and respond to human trafficking concerns before and during the World Cup. Efforts include a “Know the Signs” guide for first responders, a list of available trainings through MEMA, and training for frontline transportation personnel.
Public Awareness and Prevention
Public awareness is an important part of the Commonwealth’s World Cup preparedness effort.
Massachusetts and its partners are advancing public awareness campaigns focused on both sex and labor trafficking, with messaging designed to help people recognize warning signs, know how to report concerns, and understand where help is available. The Commonwealth has partnered with It’s a Penalty on these efforts, and MassDOT and the MBTA have donated advertising space to help expand the reach of awareness messaging across the transportation network.
Planned outreach includes signage and awareness materials on transit, at Logan Airport, through rideshare and short-term rental platforms, and through hospitality and restaurant networks. Social media toolkits, digital content, and video materials are also part of this effort.
These efforts are intended to expand awareness in places where visitors, workers, and the public may interact during the tournament and to make information easier to access before and during the event.
Youth Engagement and Prevention
Massachusetts has partnered with Cape Verdean Women United and the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office to support youth-focused awareness and prevention efforts connected to the World Cup. As part of the initiative, youth can design personalized impact cards inspired by the collectible player cards popular among soccer fans, featuring a pledge to promote healthy relationships and their own “offense” and “defense” strategies to help recognize, prevent, and combat human trafficking.
Labor Trafficking and Worker Protections
The World Cup effort addresses both sex and labor trafficking. To support worker protections, Massachusetts is coordinating labor rights outreach and prevention efforts with the Attorney General’s Office, organized labor, and Boston 26. This includes distributing labor education materials to vendors, offering virtual Know Your Rights trainings, and engaging labor partners in prevention and awareness efforts tied to the tournament.
This work is intended to help protect workers, raise awareness of labor rights, and reduce risks of exploitation in connection with World Cup-related activity.
Support for Victims and Survivors
Massachusetts is also strengthening support systems to help ensure victims and survivors can access services quickly and appropriately.
Current efforts include coordinated response tracks for both adults and youth, designed to help make support services available 24/7 through partnerships with service providers, district attorneys, Children’s Advocacy Centers, DCF, EOHHS, law enforcement, and the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The Commonwealth is also increasing Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner capacity in area emergency departments and through TeleNursing.
In addition, through an Office of Grants and Research grant, $390,000 in state funding is being made available to direct service providers that may need emergency or continued support for victims and survivors.
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