the difference we’re making to the global landscape of abuse, exploitation and human trafficking
Since 2014, It’s a Penalty has been working in collaboration to disrupt the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world: human trafficking and exploitation.
Over the last 10 years here are some of our main achievements:
20 campaigns during major global sporting events
180 million people potentially reached per campaign
98 missing children recovered during our campaigns
11 countries we’ve campaigned in
17,028 survivors have been protected through our partnerships
57 Ambassadors have joined forces with us
12,549 hospitality staff trained
17 participating airlines have featured our 30 sec campaign films inflight
CommonProtect – our advocacy programme on legal reform to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse throughout the commonwealth
Student Ambassador Programme – educating and empowering university students in UK and US to help put an end to human trafficking
Case studies
Our campaigns have inspired individuals to take action to prevent human trafficking, and protect children. Here are just a few of our case studies that demonstrate human trafficking prevention in action
MATTHEW’S STORY
Following the 2018 It’s a Penalty Campaign, an 11-year-old boy was inspired to contact us after watching our campaign film on one of our partner airlines’ flights. Matthew contacted us to report the abuse that he and his teammates were suffering at the hands of their swimming coach.
Fortunately from the information this brave child provided us with, we were able to contact the Hong Kong Family & Child Protective Services Unit (FCPSU) to alert them of this potential abuse case. The FCPSU followed Matthew’s disclosure and the appropriate action has since been taken to protect this child and his teammates from this coach.
Traffickers are known to transport people they aim to exploit across both national and international borders, including airplanes. We ensure the campaign is shared in locations exposed to trafficking risk for example videos in-flight for passengers.
MISSING CHILDREN & TRAFFICKING PREVENTION
During our U.S Super Bowl campaigns, It’s a Penalty partners with the National Center for Missing Children (NCMEC) to support identification and recovery of children reported missing, ensuring they are safe from harm and exploitation.
Data from NCMEC revealed 1 in 7 of the more than 29,000 cases of children reported missing to NCMEC in 2024 were likely victims of child sex trafficking.
With the support of our travel & hospitality partners, we distribute NCMEC’s missing children posters in hotels and motels throughout the Super Bowl host city, focusing on children with potential ties to the area. By sharing their names and faces, we enable staff to recognize and report missing children who may come into contact with their businesses. Our campaign materials also include a QR code linking to an updated list of missing children and reporting resources.
Through this initiative, alongside the efforts of NCMEC and other partners who distribute the list of missing children, during the last 4 Super Bowl campaigns, 98 missing children have been recovered.
SUPPORTING TAXI DRIVERS TO IDENTIFY HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Rideshares and taxis have been reported as transportation methods used by traffickers to transport individuals for exploitation.
As the “eyes and ears” on the ground, taxi drivers are uniquely positioned to recognize signs of exploitation. That’s why partnering with taxis and rideshare companies is a key element of our annual Super Bowl human trafficking prevention campaigns in the U.S. By equipping drivers with vital resources, we empower them to take action and play a crucial role in combating this crime.
We facilitate targeted training for taxi drivers and supply them with rear-view hang tags for their vehicles, displaying essential information about how to report suspected human trafficking including details for the National Human Trafficking hotline.
To date, we have distributed over 15,000 rear-view mirror hang tags across multiple U.S. states. These tags remain in vehicles year-round, ensuring drivers have access to critical information beyond the duration of major sporting events. Additionally, we have trained more than 6000 taxi drivers in both English and Spanish languages, providing them with the knowledge to identify trafficking indicators and the steps to respond and report effectively.
“The training has really opened my eyes, I’ve picked up young girls from hotels before and didn’t know how to report my concerns” – Lou, Uber Driver
“The It’s a Penalty Campaign is so important because our drivers interact with so many members of the community. The training, the awareness and the campaign materials saying what to do if you become suspicious of something are all so important for us at Uber.” – Ciara, Atlanta Uber Hub Manager
