“vulnerable child” limiting its application to approximately 30,000 children who are deemed to be in significant risk of harm. However, the Vulnerable Children Act does not contain a specific definition of a “vulnerable child”, which means it is possible that its scope could be expanded in the future to include a greater range of vulnerable children, including those living in poverty. The Vulnerable Children’s Plan is yet to be introduced by the Government. 234 In 2015, the Government initiated a major review of Child, Youth and Family (“CYF”), the Government agency that delivers child protection and youth justice services. The Expert Panel appointed to conduct the review is charged with recommending steps to modernise CYF and improve its performance. The Expert Panel has recently released its interim report which has identified a number of critical shortcomings in CYFs performance, including a finding that children are not placed at the centre of its practice. 235 Violence and bullying is endemic in New Zealand schools. Effects on victims can include living with anxiety and fear, lowered self-esteem, engagement in risk-taking behaviours such as substance abuse, self-harming, truanting and dropping-out from school, with associated long term adverse impacts. Victims may also suffer mental health issues including suicidal ideation, relationship difficulties and impeded emotional, behavioural and cognitive development.131 Disabled children and young people, and same-sex attracted, both sex-attracted, Trans and intersex children and young people are disproportionately affected by violence in schools. 236 In 2013, the Government established a Bullying Prevention Advisory Group (“BPAG”) whose members included the Secretary for Education, the Children’s Commissioner, the Human Rights Commission and education sector professionals, to address the problem. The BPAG produced non-regulatory guidelines to assist schools develop and administer bullying prevention practices and programmes.132 The guidelines contain reference to obligations upon schools to prevent bullying. 237 However, the principal legislation governing the school sector, the Education Act 1989, does not contain any provisions that establish explicit obligations upon schools to prevent bullying, nor are any contained in the National Administrative Guidelines for schools, issued under that Act. 238 The BPAG 2016 strategic plan includes the following key activities:  131 develop an interagency bullying prevention centralised website; Office of the Children’s Commissioner (2009) School Safety: An Inquiry into the safety of students at school 132 http://www.wellbeingatschool.org.nz/sites/default/files/Bullying-prevention-and-response-A-guide-forschools.pdf Page 62 of 93 Human Rights Commission submission to the Human Rights Committee in relation to New Zealand’s 6th periodic review under the ICCPR