"Last week, I wrote about shielding young children from horrific news stories. However, a different parenting task exists for parents of older teenagers, who will be all too aware of the Dublin riots and want to know how they came about."

"While I knew that something was happening in the North by catching a glimpse of a car or building on fire on the six o’clock news, I was largely unaware of the details and had little or no insight into what it was all about."

We need to be objective and brave enough to sanction our children when they are at fault

"If we want to stop bullying, we need to identify the children and young people who engage in this type of behaviour and, in conjunction with their parents, eliminate it."

Is it a reluctance to leave the couch and smartphone or is there something about their particular sport or club that's making them less keen to participate?

"Many children and young people I see report strong feelings of loneliness and disconnection. They tell me about feeling ‘different’, ‘misunderstood’ and ‘alone’."

They may not want to engage in deep and meaningful conversations about this struggle because. like a method actor, this could compromise the persona they are trying to develop.

The time for awareness hotlines and task forces has passed, and a tangible investment in our mental health infrastructure is urgently required

Often described as ‘sore losers’, ‘uber competitive’ or ‘high achieving’, these children fly under the mental health radar because to the outside they seem to be thriving

Children need to be taught to be critical friends of technology