Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)

D.A.R.E is a collaborative effort by certified law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents, and community to offer an educational program in the classroom to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among children and youth. The emphasis of the program is to help students recognize and resist the many direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, or other drugs or to engage in violence.

Preventive Strategies

The D.A.R.E program offers preventive strategies to enhance those protective factors especially bonding to the family, school, and community which appear to foster the development of resiliency in young people who may be at risk for substance abuse or other problem behaviors. Researchers have identified certain protective and social bonding factors in the family, school and community which may foster resiliency in young people; in other words, the capacity of young people for healthy, independent growth in spite of adverse conditions. These strategies focus on the development of:

• Communication Skills
• Conflict Resolution
• Decision Making
• Empathy
• Independence
• Positive Alternative Activities to Drug Abuse and Other Destructive Behaviors   
• Self-Esteem
• Sense of Purpose
• Social Competence

D.A.R.E is just one of several pro-active projects the Sheriff’s Office participates in with the community. The D.A.R.E pledge: “DARE to be yourself; DARE to be Drug and Violence Free!”

Questions

Please email Master Deputy Amanda Billups, our D.A.R.E Instructor, with any questions or concerns.

Donate

Submit a donation form (PDF).