D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. This year 36 million children around the world – 26 million in the U.S. – will benefit from D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), the highly acclaimed program that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs or violence. D.A.R.E. was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and has proven so successful that it is now being implemented in 80 percent of the nation’s school districts and in more than 52 countries around the world.
D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teach children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug-and-violence-free lives. The program, which was developed jointly by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District, initially focused on elementary school children. It now has been expanded to include middle school and high school programs.
The Launching of D.A.R.E. American
Overwhelming national and international demand for D.A.R.E. led to the creation of a national non-profit organization. D.A.R.E. America serves as a resource to communities, helping to establish and improve local D.A.R.E. programs. D.A.R.E. American provides officer training, supports the development and evaluation of D.A.R.E. curriculum, provides student educational materials, monitors instruction standards and program results and creates national awareness for D.A.R.E.
D.A.R.E. Training Is Unique
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.
D.A.R.E Receives High Marks from America’s Leaders
D.A.R.E. has been praised by three presidential administrations, governors, members of Congress and state legislators. Since 1988, one day each year has been declared National D.A.R.E. Day by Presidential Proclamation. State legislatures have joined with the President and Congress by proclaiming D.A.R.E. Day within their respective states.
Specially Trained Cops Assigned D.A.R.E. Classroom “Beats”
The D.A.R.E. curriculum was designed to be taught by police officers whose training and experience gave them the background needed to answer the sophisticated questions often posed by young students about drugs and crime. Prior to entering the D.A.R.E. program, officers undergo 80 hours of special training in areas such as child development, classroom management, teaching techniques, and communication skills. 40 hours of additional training are provided to experienced D.A.R.E instructors to equip them to teach high school curriculum.