Through the ECPAT Youth Partnership Project children in Thailand are supporting their peers by increasing understanding of children's rights and sexual exploitation, building a network of youth activists and leaders. Peer supporters themselves often are youth at-risk or are survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. To become Peer Supporters, children participate in training sessions organised by existing Peer Supporters. Through this training, they gain knowledge and information on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the many manifestations of commercial sexual exploitation which affect children in their communities and its root causes and also learn how to protect themselves and their peers. The training also focuses on the roles and responsibilities of Peer Supporters and building communication skills so that they can support their peers with basic counselling and also report instances of sexual exploitation. The newly trained Peer Supporters deliver their peer support activities in their respective schools and shelters offering individualised support and information to prevent their peers from becoming victims. Children and youth who experience unspeakable horrors at the hands of adults feel more secure and comfortable with peer supporters who can offer friendship and counsel. The peer support programme also rehabilitates survivors to the point where they can protect not only themselves but also their peers from commercial sexual exploitation. Since 2006, ECPAT has established more than 160 Peer Support Programmes in 15 countries directly impacting more than 300,000 children's lives. If you would like to continue receiving updates on our youth empowerment and mobilisation projects, please subscribe to our social media feeds or consider making a donation.