D.A.R.E. is more than an anti-drug program

D.A.R.E.’s Role in Preventing Violence in America’s Schools—

Education specialists specifically designed the D.A.R.E. curriculum for delivery by experienced law enforcement officers.  Evaluations of D.A.R.E. have documented that an overwhelming majority of school administrators and teachers rated the D.A.R.E. officer as the best feature of the program.

Beyond the fact that D.A.R.E. officers have been shown to be effective classroom instructors, D.A.R.E. is a fine example of a community-oriented, positive police program.  D.A.R.E. is not just a drug education program; it is crime and violence prevention in our nation’s schools.

An important byproduct of D.A.R.E. is the impact made by these uniformed officers, who work onsite in the classroom.  Because of these highly credible D.A.R.E. officers in the schools, students develop a close and trusting relationship.  .

When not in a classroom teaching, each D.A.R.E. officer is a roving, armed, uniformed, radio-equipped officer in the school.  Given that many school population’s number in the thousands of students per school, schools are communities of their own.  D.A.R.E. officers protect those communities.

D.A.R.E. is one of the few prevention programs that excite students, parents and communities.  That excitement and awareness is often expanded to include other diverse prevention and intervention approaches.  D.A.R.E. officers are encouraged to become aware of all school and community prevention initiatives and to encourage participation in broad based parenting, peer, student to student, and community awareness projects to prevent violence and drug use.

Over 50,000 D.A.R.E. officers have been trained and certified to teach the D.A.R.E. program and now serve to prevent violence in our schools and provide a building block and source of support for all prevention activity.