Parents have been given tips on how to deal with gangs and tackle cyber bullying and dangers of exposure to social media at a conference staged by Tower Hamlets Council.
The annual one-day parents’ conference at the Bethnal Green resource centre which attracted 170 people had discussions on bullying, cyber bullying, digital parenting, internet safety and how to get children to thrive growing up in the East End.
Sessions on ‘gangs and county lines’ were run by St Giles’ Trust and a workshop was held on ‘emotional first aid’ looking at ways to manage stress and anxiety.
Speakers included Martha Evans from the Anti-Bullying Alliance, Christine McInnes, the council’s education divisional director, and Cllr Danny Hassell, cabinet member for children and schools.
“We want Tower Hamlets to be a place where families don’t just get by, but thrive,” Cllr Hassell said. “This conference was useful for parents to be equipped to understand issues relevant to the young people, such as gangs and online safety.”
Parents were asked how communities can build confidence and resilience in children.
The ‘safety’ workshops should be available to every parent in every school, they responded.
Mother-of-two Marie Mcleod was presented with the DLR’s ‘outstanding service to the community’ award for setting up the Depression Changes Minds charity for parents whose children have mental health issues. She runs workshops to raise awareness about mental health in the community.
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