What is the D.A.R.E. Program
D.A.R.E TO KEEP KIDS OFF DRUGS
D.A.R.E. – Drug Abuse Resistance Education is a prevention education program taught by police officers. Developed in 1983 in Los Angeles, the program has spread world-wide. Taught in every state and several foreign nations. D.A.R.E. has become the most popular drug education program in the country.
Each officer teaching the program has received 80 hours of intense training. Officers selected to teach are expected to have a minimum of 2 years of street experience and an exemplary record.
The curriculum is based on providing accurate information to fifth or sixth grade students about drugs and their abuse in the local community. Also included are decision making skills, violence, self esteem and how to say no to peer pressure. Through role-playing and group discussion students are taught the positive alternatives to drugs. Each student that completes the 9 week program gets to participate in a special D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony.
WHAT
ARE THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF D.A.R.E.?
The primary goal of D.A.R.E. is to prevent substance abuse among school age children. The D.A.R.E. program targets children at an age when they are most receptive to drug prevention education and before they are likely to have experimented with tobacco, alcohol and drugs. D.A.R.E. seeks to prevent adolescent substance abuse, thus reducing the demand for drugs. The D.A.R.E. curriculum focuses on the following objectives for student learning.
The costs for receiving D.A.R.E. are minimal. Expenditures include officer training, classroom materials, teaching aids and the officer's time in the classroom. These costs are the responsibility of the participating law enforcement agency and/or school. Communities may be eligible for grant monies from the federal Drug Free Schools and Communities Program to assist with costs.
The D.A.R.E. core curriculum is delivered to fifth- and sixth-grade students. D.A.R.E. officers also make visitations to the kindergarten through fourth-grade classes where they are teaching.
The core curriculum "emphasizes a no-use message" which is like-skills based and focuses on peer pressure resistance training, self-concept improvement, personal safety and decision-making skills. A wide range of teaching techniques -- including interactive peer leadership and cooperative learning groups - are used to encourage student participation and response. The curriculum is updated to keep it responsive to current research findings, modern teaching methods and emerging social concerns regarding drugs and violence.
In addition to the core curriculum, D.A.R.E. offers specialized programs for junior high students and special education students.
The junior high curriculum provides information and skills students may utilize to resist peer pressure and other influences when making personal choices. The lessons focus on helping students manage their feelings of anger without resorting to violence, or the use of alcohol or drugs.
The D.A.R.E. adaptation for special populations allows the D.A.R.E. officer to teach the core curriculum to children with learning disabilities or behavior disorders in both self-contained and regular classrooms.
Parental involvement is a key element in any drug awareness/drug prevention program. The skills and knowledge that each student gains in the class room can be effectively reinforced in the home. This kind of cooperation and participation by parents increases the effectiveness of the program.
