Colman Noctor: What to do if your child is being bullied

One in four children will experience bullying in one form or another, with exclusion being the most common

Picture: iStock 

Last week I attended a Joint Oireachtas Committee for Education. I was there to speak on the topic of bullying in childhood in Ireland. I was not alone. There was a number of other experts from the field of child and mental health who were also there to present an opening statement and to answer questions from the panel.

At the meeting, I outlined my definition of bullying behaviour and described it in terms of ‘intent’, making a distinction between robust banter and bullying behaviour that can occur in all age groups from small children to late teens.