DARE is used to reinforce the information and skills students need to enable themselves to act in their own best interest when facing high-risk, low-gain choices and to resist peer pressure and other influences in making their personal choices. Equal emphasis is on helping students recognize feelings of anger without causing harm to themselves or others and without resorting to violence or the use of alcohol and drugs.

Project DARE was jointly developed by the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles Police Department to prevent drug abuse in children and youth. The emphasis of project DARE--Senior High School is to reinforce the information and skills students need to enable them to act in their own best interest when facing high-risk, low-gain choices and to resist peer pressure and other influences in making their personal choices. Equal emphasis is on helping students recognize feelings of anger without causing harm to themselves or others and without resorting to violence or the use of alcohol and drugs.This instructional guide for Project DARE has been developed to assist police officers, school administrators, and teachers in the planning and implementation of a program of drug abuse resistance education for students in senior high school.
 

Organization

The senior high school DARE/IMPACT program has two important components:

Prevention Education

A series of five lessons on social skills and violence prevention strategies to be taught by a trained Bristol Virginia Sheriff's Office Deputy with required activities to be implemented by the classroom teacher the day following the officer-led lesson. The lessons and activities were designed to be implemented over a period of ten to eleven days in the required course in health or in some other appropriate subject, such as science, social studies, or driver education.

The DARE program lessons are designed to extend and reinforce the instructional content on substance abuse prevention being taught by the regular classroom teacher. The classroom teacher should maintain a supportive role in classroom management while the officer is teaching. The classroom teacher should incorporate DARE program participation by students as an integral part of the students' final evaluation.

Intervention

A school-based prevention-intervention component designed to provide procedures and strategies for the identification, early intervention, and after-care support of students whose school performance and behavior may be indicative of substance abuse or other crises. DARE is a cooperative program in which law enforcement and the public schools join together to educate students about the personal and social consequences of substance abuse. The DARE lessons and follow-up activities also focus on strategies for anger management and violence prevention. The concepts and skills emphasized in the DARE program are sequentially developed to extend from kindergarten through junior and senior high school.

Description

The aim of the senior high school DARE project is to extend the information and reinforce the skills students need to enable them (1) to act in their own best interest when facing high-risk, low-gain choices and (2) to resist peer pressure and other influences in making their personal choices. Equal emphasis is placed on helping students to recognize and cope with feelings of anger without resorting to violence or the use of alcohol and other drugs.

The DARE program at the senior high school level consists of a series of five lessons on social skills and violence prevention strategies taught by a trained DARE officer and four sessions to be implemented by the classroom teacher on the day following each officer-led lesson. All the lessons are designed to be taught over a period of eleven days during the required course in health or in some other appropriate subject, such as, science, social studies, or driver education.

At the completion of the Senior High DARE Program, students receive a diploma recognizing their successful completion of the curriculum and their commitment to be drug-free. Students are also treated to a pizza party complete with music and several silly games.

Activities

DARE is also a co-sponsor of the Virginia High "All Night Prom Party." The purpose of the party is to provide students with an alcohol and drug free party. They can have fun and win prizes donated by the area businesses. The Prom Party usually begins by 1:00 a.m. and is over around 7:00 a.m. Students have had the opportunity to make lip-sync videos at Virginia High to taking a river boat ride in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like more information, contact Bristol Virginia DARE office at (276) 645-7448.