As Kansas City prepares to welcome a global audience for the World Cup, the Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault (MOCSA) is preparing for a less visible—but well-documented—impact of major sporting events: a rise in sexual violence.
Studies from the National Institutes of Health show that domestic and sexual violence can rise by up to 25% during major sporting events. MOCSA has seen this pattern as well. During large events—especially in the summer, when travel, alcohol use, and big gatherings increase—they often receive more crisis line calls and provide more hospital support.
“The World Cup is going to bring tremendous excitement and economic opportunity to Kansas City. But it also requires us to prepare for increased risk. Our goal is to make sure everyone—residents and visitors—knows that support is available for survivors and that our community is committed to safety and accountability.”
With hundreds of thousands of visitors expected in Kansas City this summer, MOCSA’s preparation efforts have been focused on ensuring survivors can access help when they need it most and engaging the community to prevent sexual violence and harassment from happening in the first place.
Kansas City has the opportunity to show the world what a safe, welcoming host city looks like. By working together across businesses, healthcare systems, community organizations, and residents, we can create an environment where everyone can enjoy this historic event and know support is available if needed.
Here are some of the steps MOCSA has taken to prepare:
- Launching MOCSA’s End Foul Play prevention campaign. Enhancing community visibility and access to support by distributing MOCSA resources across the Kansas City metro, hosting staff and volunteer outreach at local events, and expanding awareness. MOCSA’s End Foul Play (Juega Limpio) campaign will be visible through billboards, advertising, and media engagement so residents and visitors alike know where to turn for help.
- Expanding outreach to Spanish-speaking and Hispanic audiences in anticipation of increased international visitors. MOCSA has partnered with Tico Productions LLC to translate campaign materials into Spanish, place targeted media and advertising with outlets like Telemundo, and implement a comprehensive language access plan for the crisis line and website.
- Partnering with bar and restaurant staff across the metro through Sexual Assault Free Environment (SAFE) Training. This training equips them to recognize potentially harmful situations and provides tools to intervene effectively to prevent sexual violence and support survivors. More than 275 individuals at 52 establishments have received SAFE Training in the last year.
- Increasing staff and volunteer capacity to support 24/7 crisis line services and hospital advocacy, ensuring survivors receive the support they need when they need it. We’ve trained 33 new staff, volunteers, and interns since January; expanded daytime crisis line staffing by 17%; and planned additional coverage on days when there are FIFA matches in Kansas City and Fan Fest operating.
- Collaborating on a Metro-wide SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) to develop plans for increased victim response for intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. MOCSA, Advent Health, University of Kansas Health System, and Value Unconditional have partnered to identify service gaps and opportunities. MOCSA’s crisis line team completed a training for learning the red flags for human trafficking and sex exploitation in the medical setting.
Community members can support these efforts by learning about MOCSA’s services, encouraging local businesses to participate in SAFE training, and sharing End Foul Play campaign resources during World Cup events.