The New D.A.R.E. Program

The new D.A.R.E. curricula integrates the latest in science and research-based strategies into the world's largest and most effective educational delivery network -- D.A.R.E. New D.A.R.E. is highly interactive, using small group discussions and role-playing of real-life situations that kids face constantly: the temptation and peer pressure to use tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

Scientific evaluation has documented that kids who complete the New D.A.R.E. program:

Have improved decision-making skills,
View drug use as unacceptable, and
Possess a significantly decreased likelihood of ever using drugs.

D.A.R.E. goes beyond traditional drug abuse and violence prevention programs. It gives children the skills needed to recognize and resist the subtle and overt pressures that cause them to experiment with drugs or become involved in gangs or violent activities.

Objectives for D.A.R.E. Elementary School Curriculum

D.A.R.E. America Strategic Initiative (2002)

D.A.R.E. is Community Policing

D.A.R.E. is an internationally recognized model of community policing. The United States Department of Justice has identified how D.A.R.E. benefits local communities:

D.A.R.E. "humanizes" the police: that is, young people can begin to relate to officers as people
D.A.R.E. permits students to see officers in a helping role, not just an enforcement role
D.A.R.E. opens lines of communication between law enforcement and youth
D.A.R.E. Officers can serve as conduits to provide information beyond drug-related topics
D.A.R.E. opens dialogue between the school, police, and parents to deal with other issues

Substance abuse prevention infrastructure: a survey-based study of the organizational structure and function of the D.A.R.E. program Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy - September 6, 2006

DARE Curriculum Gets High Marks The Online Newsletter for Faculty, Staff and Retirees of The University of Akron - February 21, 2003

Antidrug Program Says It Will Adopt a New Strategy NY Times, February 15, 2001 (registration required)

A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Middle and Junior High School D.A.R.E. and D.A.R.E. Plus Programs February 2003 Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (.pdf)

Community Policing and D.A.R.E.®: A Practitioner’s Perspective David L. Carter, Michigan State University (.pdf)

The University of Akron Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention Study: A Longitudinal Evaluation of the New Curricula for the D.A.R.E Middle (7th Grade) and High School (9th Grade) Programs (.pdf)

DARE Program Used by America's Safest Cities

Find out more on the D.A.R.E. America website: www.dare-america.org

Search for more D.A.R.E. research at www.search-institute.org

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