The Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program (D.A.R.E) is offered to k-12 in Virginia and aims at preventing substance abuse within its youth and into adolescence. The program focuses on has lessons on avoiding peer pressure, improving self-esteem, the dangers associated with using, alternatives, and teaches decision making skills and interpersonal skills. It also teaches healthy alternatives to drug use. Overall research has shown that D.A.R.E has had an effect. Those who received the D.A.R.E program reported less use of drugs and alcohol in their high school years, they also reported higher abilities to say no to peer pressure and greater self-esteem. Another benefit of D.A.R.E that research has shown is better attitudes toward police officers. But now some schools want to drop D.A.R.E for other programs such as the Parents as Educators program (PAE). This program has parents working alongside their children to do activities and exercises. This program also has a lot of the same effects that D.A.R.E has but may be used because of the cost efficiency. Using D.A.R.E police officers are put through a 2 week training course and those schools who can't afford it, do not use it. Also, they claim that once the officer is done at a school the teachers are left with no curriculum to answer questions. PAE is used with the assumption that parents will show up in the evenings to go through material with the school and their children. Both programs have their benefits and drawbacks but both aim at educating the youth.
What do you all think? D.A.R.E or PAE?
When I was younger I went through the DARE program and its seemed interesting. From what I think it did help build awareness but in the end it just educated kids more on what the substances were. I know many kids from elementary school who still ended up abusing drugs or alcohol. I'm sure while they were younger those same kids were probably against doing drugs or drinking alcohol but as they got older they probably forgot about what they learned in the program and stopped caring.
ReplyDeleteI took DARE in middle school and I felt it was all stuff that my parents had already told me. I mean, I never had any intention of doing drugs and maybe learned a little more about them, but nevertheless, I feel like a program such as PAE may be more beneficial. When it came to DARE, it was just a way to get us out of doing more math or social studies in our school day. I feel like adding activities and showing that parent involvement and influence could be good for the younger kids. Adults teach by example and showing them, "hey, I got to where I am because I didn't follow a bad path" would be smart. Having a cop tell us not to do drugs is something that happens every day. Having an involved parent do so is different. A lot of kids I knew back then, I heard about them becoming druggies later on and it's sad to think maybe something could have influenced them otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI am from Virginia and just like you I remember having officers come into our classrooms in elementary school and talk to us. I feel that instead of having to choose one there should be both D.A.R.E and PAE. I know cost-wise that probably wouldn't be able to happen but in my opinion having both officers talk about the consequences of drug use at school and then having parents reinforce the information after school/ at home would be very beneficial. I also think that teachers should not be complaining about not having any curriculum to answer questions with. That is a simple problem that can easily be solved.
ReplyDeleteI went to elementary school in PWC and I remember how much they stressed D.A.R.E. All I really remember is that we got to ask the police officer all sorts of cool questions that every kid wants to know. I think it'd be beneficial to try P.A.E. instead. Involving the parents is essential at such a young age. Kids are much more responsive to their parents and will remember more of what they tell them as opposed to a stranger.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the consensus of the comments , D.A.R.E was fun , entertaining and probably the most look forward to part of the week for kids in class because it was anything but their teacher teaching. I honestly think that the things you experience as your growing will vary widely as well as what you are exposed to. While its great that the D.A.R.E program supplies the children with education on topics that usually they dont get exposed to I dont think it molds them into doing the right thing all of the time. This is based on how they are raised and their perception of themselves when they are put in the situations. Bottom line is if a kid wants to do something, they are going to do it, even if they know how bad it is for them. So I think PAE way to keep with the trend of educating on these topics , and if it saves money why not do it since the D.A.R.E program really isnt preventing anything in a large enough number to justify spending money on the program.
ReplyDeleteI always like the D.A.R.E program when I went through it in elementary school. It always kept me away from doing drugs. I enjoyed learning about what the different types of drugs were and what they would do to your body.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kareema that these two programs should be done simultaneously. It would be more costly but it is better to spend money on keeping kids away from drugs than dealing with consequences of drug abuse.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that parents should be more involved in this type of topics. A lot of them just don't realize how easily one can get addicted and how dangerous drugs can be. Another thing that I think parents do not know is that it can start very early. Some parents think that their child is too young to be exposed to drugs, therefore they still have time to prepare them. And then they postpone it until it's too late. Forcing them to participate in this program would make them more aware. The only problem with this program is how many parents would actually have time to come to meetings and spend their leisure time doing this.
I believe that both school and parents should be actively educating kids about the dangers of drug use. You said that D.A.R.E. program is proven to be effective. I think that application of both programs could be a great success.