| D.A.R.E. (DRUG ABUSE
RESISTANCE EDUCATION) D.A.R.E.
is a broad based educational drug prevention program. The program is a collaborative
effort by law enforcement, educators, students, parents, and the community to offer an
educational program in the classroom to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among
children and youth. The emphasis is on helping students recognize and resist the many
direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco,
marijuana, inhalants, or other drugs or to engage in violence.
The D.A.R.E. program offers preventive
strategies that focus on the development of social competence, communication skills,
self-esteem, empathy, decision making, conflict resolution, sense of purpose and
independence, and positive alternative choices to drug abuse and other destructive
behaviors.
Robbinsdale Police Department began to
present the D.A.R.E. program at the elementary level in 1990. In 1995, the program was
expanded to include junior high. Reconnecting with middle school students has shown
evidence of program success that cannot be measured with statistics. After the program was
presented in 1998, seven students approached the School Chemical Abuse Specialist
indicating that they had experimented with drugs and asking for help in redefining their
goals to be drug free. The students credited the junior high D.A.R.E. program for creating
a need to re-apply the original skills learned in D.A.R.E. The past lessons became more
applicable to their current life and peer relationships.
The Robbinsdale Police Department
presents the program at the following four schools:
- Lakeview Elementary School
- Language Immersion School
- Sacred Heart Catholic School
- Technology Learning Campus
An important element of the D.A.R.E.
program is the use of older student leaders, who do not use drugs, as positive role models
in influencing younger students. Many of the current role models are past D.A.R.E.
students who are able to share examples of how the strategies taught in D.A.R.E. have
worked for them.
If you would like more information you
can go to these web sites. |
