No parent wants to see their child being bullied and harassed. One would assume that parents don't want their children to be bullies and harassers either.

The case of two female teachers in Wicklow who took legal action after they were sexually harassed by male students raises an important question for parents. If your child was a bully or sexual harasser, would you know? Would you believe it? Or do you idealise your child to the extent that you cannot see your child in the bullying role? How much do you really know about how your child interacts with others in the school environment?

What sort of sexual attitudes are parents giving their sons? Boys who treat teachers with disrespect must surely be raised in homes where they are allowed to treat parents with disrespect.

The nature of the school system is that we hand our children over in trust. A handful of adults are then charged with monitoring the behaviour of hundreds of children. How can they really see what's going on?

As the two Wicklow teachers experienced, it is hard for an adult to be believed when harassed. So it's even harder for a child. Our children constantly interact with dozens or even hundreds of others. Five unmonitored minutes in a playground is all a bully needs to destroy another child's confidence.

Bullying may be such a nightmare for its child victims that, when schools do not respond appropriately, children may develop mental health problems. In a few cases, children have even been pushed into attempting suicide - and some have succeeded.

Teaching children about bullying is right and necessary, but it's only half the story. We need to teach adults about bullying and help parents to become more aware of their own children's behaviour. Mandatory parenting classes, subsidised by the State, as part of each individual school's curriculum would be a good idea. We need to make sure that schools are places where everyone feels safe.