Before a girl ever learns to drive or decides what she wants to be, she should have the chance to simply be young and to imagine, to play, to believe in herself. Girlhood is storybooks and trading friendship bracelets, whispering plans and inside jokes, singing into hairbrush microphones, and knowing the world will wait for you to grow. It is supposed to be a time of innocence and growth; a time when every girl deserves to grow up feeling safe, seen, and free.
But for thousands of girls across America, that freedom is stolen long before they have a chance to grow up. Sex trafficking doesn’t always look like we imagine—it doesn’t happen only in dark alleys or foreign places. It happens online, in neighborhoods, and too often in plain sight. Traffickers exploit trust, opportunity, and vulnerability, taking not just safety but the sense of belonging and possibility that define girlhood itself.
Kevin Bacon and the national nonprofit he founded, SixDegrees.org, are working to help reclaim that girlhood by raising awareness, sparking prevention, and amplifying the voices of those fighting every day to protect it. Through the organization’s Purpose, Produced initiative with Advertising Week, Six Degrees pairs top creative agencies with deserving nonprofits to create powerful, pro bono campaigns for good. Out of organizations across the country, they selected Las Vegas’ SHERO Foundation—a survivor-led nonprofit at the heart of this fight—to collaborate on a campaign that brings these stolen stories into the light.
"Purpose, Produced was designed to show the world what's possible when grassroots nonprofits have access to resources and expertise that are typically out of reach," said Rachel Young, communications manager for SixDegrees.org. Our team was drawn to SHERO's emphasis on centering lived experience, and we've been so moved by the response to ‘Girlhood.’”
What “Girlhood” Represents
The result of that partnership is “Protect Girlhood,” a stunning awareness campaign created by the award-winning agency Duncan Channon. Instead of focusing on the crime itself, Girlhood reveals the innocence, confidence, and joy that were taken. The campaign captures everyday scenes of girls being girls: laughing with friends, creating TikToks, walking to school. Meanwhile, real survivors share their stories in voiceovers, describing what was quietly taken from them when no one realized what was happening.
The message is both simple and deeply powerful: what’s stolen through trafficking isn’t just safety—it’s childhood itself. Many victims continue attending school, interacting on social media, and living at home.
A National Spotlight for Local Voices
For SHERO, founded by survivor Kimberly Miles and led by advocates, this partnership is nothing short of transformative. The organization has built a powerful network of resources for vulnerable girls to be educated and to support victims escaping trafficking. Its SHERO Shield prevention initiative works within schools and communities to stop trafficking before it starts.
Now, through this national platform, SHERO’s message reaches farther than ever before. This recognition gives a voice to local girls and women whose courage continues to inspire the organization’s work; proof that what began as a grassroots mission now stands as a model for change.
Built by Creativity, Fueled by Compassion
Protect Girlhood was created entirely pro bono, brought to life by generosity and teamwork. Director Sean Murphy and cinematographer Tyler Trant captured vivid snapshots of everyday youth in roller rinks, classrooms, and sunlit parks alive with possibility. The production became its own symbol of hope: people from every background coming together to protect something worth saving. The result is a film powered by community and shared conviction, much like SHERO itself.
Protecting Girlhood, Together
For SHERO, this moment is about more than recognition. It’s about protecting girls and reminding everyone that awareness is the first step toward prevention.
“Protecting girlhood isn’t just a campaign, it’s a collective responsibility,” says Lisa Hayden, Operations Manager, SHERO Foundation. “Through education, awareness, and compassion, we can help every girl hold on to the laughter, curiosity, and courage that define her story.”
If even one family recognizes the signs sooner, or if one girl hesitates before replying to a message from a stranger online, then “Girlhood” has already made an impact.
To watch the “Girlhood” film and share its message, visit youtube.com/watch?v=fI2A9ve-unc.
Girlhood is supposed to be a time of innocence and growth—a time when every girl deserves to grow up feeling safe, seen, and free.
Protecting girlhood isn’t just a campaign, it’s a collective responsibility. Through education, awareness, and compassion, we can help every girl hold on to her story.