III. PROBLEM STATEMENT
The problem addressed in this policy analysis is why the D.A.R.E. program was so ineffective. The D.A.R.E. program had many issues, but the key reason the program was so ineffective was due to the curriculum. The Original D.A.R.E. curriculum was implemented in 1983, by Dr. Ruth Rich, health education specialist from the LAUSD. Dr. Rich based the D.A.R.E. core curriculum on a review of other prevalent drug prevention programs, particularly Project SMART (Self-Management Resistance Training), a prevention program designed by the Health Behavior Research Institute of the University of Southern California. An evaluation of the D.A.R.E. program shows its ineffectiveness is due to the curriculum. Responsibility for the D.A.R.E. curriculum comes from the officers of D.A.R.E. themselves. A curriculum made by a drug prevention professor or even researcher would have been way more efficient than this c A revised curriculum was piloted in 1993. All D.A.R.E.® officers will be trained to administer the revised curriculum, titled "D.A.R.E.® to Resist Drugs and Violence," in September 1994. In 1993, D.A.R.E.® America convened a Scientific Advisory. In addressing this problem I have found research on different analysis as to why the D.A.R.E. failed. Zagymny and Thompson, 1997 stated the D.A.R.E. program failed due to a lack of a consistent understanding of what are or should be the most important and/or relevant variables in determining the success of D.A.R.E. In other words, should success be measured by a reduction in drug use (Mays, 1998), the prevention of drug use (West and O’Neal, 2004), a change in a participant’s attitudes towards substance use (Curtis, 1999), an increased knowledge about …show more content…
handbook the primary goal of D.A.R.E. is to prevent substance abuse among school age children. The D.A.R.E. program targets children at an age when they are most receptive to drug prevention education and before they are likely to have experimented with tobacco, alcohol and drugs. D.A.R.E. seeks to prevent adolescent substance abuse, thus reducing the demand for drugs. Goals include providing the skills of recognizing and resisting social pressures to experiment with tobacco, alcohol and drugs; Help enhance self esteem; Teach positive alternatives to substance abuse and other destructive behaviors (particularly gangs and violence); ;Develops skills in risk-assessment, decision making and conflict resolution; …show more content…
The D.A.R.E. program wanted to teach students to understand the effects and consequences of drug use, but failed to deliver a curriculum that actually teaches the effects and consequences of drugs. The underlying philosophy of D.A.R.E. is deterrence and the notion that giving school aged children educational information on the consequence of alcohol and drug use by police officers will deter them from experimenting and using these substances (Howell, 2003). Studies show the only goals D.A.R.E. did achieve were basic knowledge about drugs, attitudes about drug use, social skills, self-esteem, and attitude toward police. Things already taught in public schools and after school programs.
According to Maxwell and MacKillican (2000), the primary objectives of D.A.R.E. are to reduce substance use, to provide students with the skills to discourage substance use among their peers yet the program curriculum didn’t show the youths how to discourage peers from substance abuse. Any effort to reduce drug use in children should take into account what is drawing youths to drugs. Is it the media are the movies chicldren are watching making them want to try drugs. The D.A.R.E. program
The problem addressed in this policy analysis is why the D.A.R.E. program was so ineffective. The D.A.R.E. program had many issues, but the key reason the program was so ineffective was due to the curriculum. The Original D.A.R.E. curriculum was implemented in 1983, by Dr. Ruth Rich, health education specialist from the LAUSD. Dr. Rich based the D.A.R.E. core curriculum on a review of other prevalent drug prevention programs, particularly Project SMART (Self-Management Resistance Training), a prevention program designed by the Health Behavior Research Institute of the University of Southern California. An evaluation of the D.A.R.E. program shows its ineffectiveness is due to the curriculum. Responsibility for the D.A.R.E. curriculum comes from the officers of D.A.R.E. themselves. A curriculum made by a drug prevention professor or even researcher would have been way more efficient than this c A revised curriculum was piloted in 1993. All D.A.R.E.® officers will be trained to administer the revised curriculum, titled "D.A.R.E.® to Resist Drugs and Violence," in September 1994. In 1993, D.A.R.E.® America convened a Scientific Advisory. In addressing this problem I have found research on different analysis as to why the D.A.R.E. failed. Zagymny and Thompson, 1997 stated the D.A.R.E. program failed due to a lack of a consistent understanding of what are or should be the most important and/or relevant variables in determining the success of D.A.R.E. In other words, should success be measured by a reduction in drug use (Mays, 1998), the prevention of drug use (West and O’Neal, 2004), a change in a participant’s attitudes towards substance use (Curtis, 1999), an increased knowledge about …show more content…
handbook the primary goal of D.A.R.E. is to prevent substance abuse among school age children. The D.A.R.E. program targets children at an age when they are most receptive to drug prevention education and before they are likely to have experimented with tobacco, alcohol and drugs. D.A.R.E. seeks to prevent adolescent substance abuse, thus reducing the demand for drugs. Goals include providing the skills of recognizing and resisting social pressures to experiment with tobacco, alcohol and drugs; Help enhance self esteem; Teach positive alternatives to substance abuse and other destructive behaviors (particularly gangs and violence); ;Develops skills in risk-assessment, decision making and conflict resolution; …show more content…
The D.A.R.E. program wanted to teach students to understand the effects and consequences of drug use, but failed to deliver a curriculum that actually teaches the effects and consequences of drugs. The underlying philosophy of D.A.R.E. is deterrence and the notion that giving school aged children educational information on the consequence of alcohol and drug use by police officers will deter them from experimenting and using these substances (Howell, 2003). Studies show the only goals D.A.R.E. did achieve were basic knowledge about drugs, attitudes about drug use, social skills, self-esteem, and attitude toward police. Things already taught in public schools and after school programs.
According to Maxwell and MacKillican (2000), the primary objectives of D.A.R.E. are to reduce substance use, to provide students with the skills to discourage substance use among their peers yet the program curriculum didn’t show the youths how to discourage peers from substance abuse. Any effort to reduce drug use in children should take into account what is drawing youths to drugs. Is it the media are the movies chicldren are watching making them want to try drugs. The D.A.R.E. program