D.A.R.E.

D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.

Last reviewed: 2023

Intended Outcomes:

-Provide kids with the knowledge and skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence.

Continuum of Care:
Selective Prevention

Topic Areas:
Behavioral Health/Mental Health, Disruptive Behaviors, Physical Health, Substance Use

Ages:
Childhood (4-12), Teen/Adolescent (13-18)

Geographic Locations:
Rural, Urban

Delivery Settings:
School-Based

Cultural Considerations:
Limited research found involving diverse populations

Audience:
This program is intended to be used with K-12 students.

Credentials:
This program is delivered by Certified D.A.R.E. Officers.

Manuals:
Yes

Is Training Required?
Yes, see developer info

Who can provide the required training?
Please visit the D.A.R.E. website to find available trainings. If you are interested in starting a D.A.R.E. program at your school, contact your School Administrator and your local Chief of Police, County Sheriff, Mayor or County Executive requesting in writing that they host a D.A.R.E. program in your school.

Program Costs (materials, training, etc.):
Yes, refer to program website

Program/Practice Website:
https://dare.org/

Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research:

Clayton, R. R., Cattarello, A. M., & Johnstone, B. M. (1996). The effectiveness of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (Project DARE): 5-year follow-up results. Preventive medicine, 25(3), 307-318.

Evans, E., & Tseloni, A. (2019). Evaluation of the UK DARE Primary programme. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 26(3), 238-249.

Pan, W., & Bai, H. (2009). A multivariate approach to a meta-analytic review of the effectiveness of the DARE program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 6(1), 267-277.

West, S. L., & O’Neal, K. K. (2004). Project DARE outcome effectiveness revisited. American journal of public health, 94(6), 1027-1029.

Not Supported by research

WV Rating:
Not Supported by Research
»WV Ratings Info

Rationale for Rating:

D.A.R.E. overall has proven to be ineffective, the research does not support purported outcomes.

Contraindications or Concerns:
None identified

Other Registries/Ratings

The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare:
Not On Registry

Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development:
Not On Registry

Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness:
Not On Registry

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Model Programs Guide:
Not On Registry

Washington State Institute for Public Policy:
Not On Registry