History

( Drug Abuse Resistance Education) was created in 1983 by the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Unified School District. The purpose of this program is to educate young people about the perils of abusing drugs and to help them make informed decisions in "Saying No" to drugs and violence. D.A.R.E. encourages kids to make a personal commitment to live drug free lives. The success of the D.A.R.E. Program is attributed to teaching kids to cope with the challenges of life in contemporary America. D.A.R.E. encourages students to refuse drug offers, and teaches them how to do so. It provides children with the tools they will need to help them live healthy, productive lives.

From the start D.A.R.E. was an overwhelming success with law enforcement agencies and school districts throughout the country. Within a decade D.A.R.E. had expanded into 5,800 cities in 50 states and worldwide. Today D.A.R.E. reaches approximately 25 million students per year in kindergarten through 12th grade in 250,000 classrooms.

Maryland

In 1986 the D.A.R.E. program was adapted and implemented in Maryland and soon spread throughout the state reaching all subdivisions. The success of the D.A.R.E. program is directly attributed to the commitment of the law enforcement agencies, the school systems (both public and private), and the dedication of the D.A.R.E. Officers with the support of parents.

Officer/Teacher/Friend

As a result of their "real world" experiences with the damaging effects of drugs and alcohol, the law enforcement officers who teach D.A.R.E. have tremendous credibility with, and impact on, students. They are selected on the basis of their ability to serve as positive role models for kids and their demonstrated commitment to helping young people remain drug free. These D.A.R.E. Officers are specially trained in areas such as child development, classroom management, teaching techniques, and communication skills allowing them to serve as teachers in uniform on the school campus. In addition to formal classroom instruction, D.A.R.E. Officers interact with students before and after school, during other class periods, at lunch and recess, as well as other extra curricular and social activities. This emphasizes the officer's presence as a teacher, role model, and friend.

The Program

Many experts believe that substance abuse prevention and anger management techniques must begin early. D.A.R.E. targets students when they are first exposed to violence and are most vulnerable to tremendous veer pressure to try drugs alcohol. The D.A.R.E. Lessons help children build their self-esteem, manage stress and anger, foresee behavioral consequences, resist pro-drug media messages, and identify alternatives to drug use.

The primary goal of D.A.R.E. is to prevent substance abuse and violence among school age children. This goal is accomplished by:

• Providing students with accurate information
• Teaching students ways to say 'NO" while providing alternatives to drug use
• Teaching students decision making skills and the consequences for their behavior
• Building students' self-esteem while teaching them how to resist peer pressure

Four Components

K-4th grade visitations
This acquaints the children with the D.A.R.E. officer and lays the groundwork for the 17 lessons they will receive in the 5th or 6th grades. These visits focus on child safety and prevention issues. Students are alerted to the potential dangers in the misuse of drugs, medicine, and other substances.

5th/6th grade core classes
This is the foundation of D.A.R.E. The program provides students with the skills they will need as young adults to avoid gang violence and to resist temptations of drug abuse, through a series of 17 consecutive lessons. With the help of the certified classroom teacher a wide range of teaching techniques are used, including question and answer, group discussion, and role playing exercises.

Middle/Junior High
These 10 lessons are a follow-up to the core component. They reinforce the values students learned in elementary school. The emphasis here is to provide information and skills which enable students to resist peer pressure and other influences in making personal choices. The lessons concentrate on helping students manage their feelings of anger and aggression. They are shown how to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence or the use of alcohol and drugs

High School
These 9 lessons take the students into adulthood. D.A.R.E. combines all the previously learned values and experiences and applies them to real life situations, teaching young adults the value of staying drug free. The program is co-taught by a D.A.R.E. officer and a high school teacher and was developed to coincide with everyday situations high school students encounter in their environment.

Parent Program
This program was developed to address the growing need for comprehensive family support and involvement in school programs. It is intended for any adult interested in ensuring the health, safety, and development of life skills for children. Consisting of 6 two hour sessions generally held in the evening by the D.A.R.E. Officer, the program provides information on communication and selfesteem building, risk factors associated with young children, basic information on drug use and stages of adolescent chemical dependency, sources of pressure and protective factors, violence and conflict resolution, and agency networking in the community.