D.A.R.E. is a drug and violence prevention education program, which is taught by three Macon Police Officers in every classroom in Bibb County grades K-5. The goals in grades K-4 are primarily to familiarize the students with the program with the core program being concentrated on the fifth graders. The D.A.R.E. curriculum is designed to equip early adolescent students with the skills to resist substance abuse and violence. D.A.R.E. lessons include the following:
- Learning to recognize and resist peer pressure to experiment with tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.
- Enhancing self-esteem.
- Learning assertiveness techniques.
- Learning anger management and conflict resolution skills.
- Developing risk assessment and decision-making skills.
- Building interpersonal and communications skills.
- Learning about positive alternatives to substance use.
Reducing violence.
D.A.R.E. is the largest and most widely implemented drug and violence prevention program in the world. It is currently taught by police officers in 19 countries and in 7,000 communities in the United States . It has been taught in Bibb County since 1990.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you think the D.A.R.E. program is effective in reducing drug use among teens?
The D.A.R.E. Program would have limited success in curbing teen's drug use if the only information young people received about drugs came from D.A.R.E. However, information that students receive in the D.A.R.E. program, coupled with family discussion and reinforcement, can increase the effectiveness of the program.
Why teach D.A.R.E. at such a young age?
Young people are exposed to the presence and effects of drugs and alcohol at an even younger age than fifth grade. Many students are fully aware that drugs are a fact of society and are even making their way into our schools. -The D.A.R.E. Program provides students with correct information about drugs and gives them the skills necessary to avoid drugs and negative peer pressure. Supplying fifth graders with this information enables them to be prepared for situations they may soon, if not already, face in or out of school. |
