Dr. Colman Noctor:

I will answer the question on the therapeutic involvement. The landscape for teachers to negotiate is considerably more complex than it was previously. The Deputy asked Dr. Muldoon about the online safety issue. The online world has much more impact on this than we imagine. It is the narrative around what friendship means and how disposable people are. It has a subtle influence on the stuff that is happening, rather than something that is very clear. Returning to the point made by Deputy O'Callaghan, if there is no rule, there needs to be a value system highlighting inclusion, diversity and being upstanding. As Ms O'Malley said, everybody needs to buy into that. If the value system is about academic or sports achievement, bullying probably lies far down in the hierarchy.

We need to understand that it is much more complex.

On the involvement of expertise, we have subcontracted many issues to teachers, such as sex education, therapy and so on. Teachers are correctly saying they are not therapists and they do not know how to manage this. It is a litigious, contentious environment when a child is accused of bullying. The teacher has to decide whom to tell and wonder whether the parents' solicitor will come down on him or her. There are many aspects to think about. The expertise in the room, whether therapeutic or supportive of the school, is essential. I fully concur with Dr. Muldoon's point. It has been internationally proven that we need that influence in schools, and that is something we have been remiss about.