What is
D.A.R.E.?
The LHCPD Drug
Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program is a substance
abuse prevention education program designed to equip elementary
school children with skills for resisting peer pressure to
experiment with tobacco, drugs, alcohol and to engage in gangs
or criminal activity.
D.A.R.E. was
developed in 1983 by the Los Angeles Police Department and Los
Angeles Unified School District. It uses uniformed officers to
teach a formal curriculum to students in a classroom setting.
The LHCPD
D.A.R.E. Program annually serves more than 400 fifth graders in
five elementary schools and 200 seventh graders in two middle
schools. It began here in 1986 with the assistance of the Lake
Havasu City School District. It had two part time DARE police
officers, five schools and 200 students. Today its staff numbers
seven officers and a sergeant.
D.A.R.E. To Say
No!
D.A.R.E. lesson
plans focus on five major areas:
-
Provide
accurate information about tobacco, alcohol and drugs
-
Teach
students decision-making skills
-
Show
students how to resist peer pressure
-
Give
students ideas for alternatives to drug use
-
Resist
gangs and criminal activity
One precept of
the D.A.R.E. program is that elementary school children lack
sufficient social skills to resist peer pressure and say NO to
drugs. Instructors do not use scare tactics or traditional
approaches that focus on the dangers of drug use. Instead, they
work with the children to raise their self-esteem, to teach them
how to make decisions on their own, and to help them identify
positive alternatives to drugs.
Key Program
Elements
D.A.R.E. is a
joint effort by the Lake Havasu City Police Department, Lake
Havasu Unified School District, and parents, all three working
together to help our children make the right choice concerning
drug use. One unique feature of D.A.R.E. is the use of police
officers as instructors. The officers, who are selected because
of their human relations and communications skills, are trained
to present a special 17-lesson instruction unit.
Tips For
Parents
- Establish family rules
that make use of drugs "non-negotiable".
- Educate yourself about
drugs so you can talk informatively with your children and
answer their questions.
- Because peer pressure is a
major factor in teen drug use and gangs, know your
children's friends.
- Talk with other parents.
Try to establish uniform rules that make access to drugs
harder, such as curfews and the amount of spending money
your children receive.
- If a problem exists get
help! Don't say "Not My Child!".
For more
information, call the D.A.R.E. office at (928) 855-1171.
