Paper Example on Does the DARE Program Work? Evidence and Findings

Foundations Recovery network. (2015). Does the DARE Program Work? Dual Diagnosis. https://dualdiagnosis.org/drug-addiction/dare-program-work/

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Summary of findings

The article, “Does the DARE Program Work?” questions the efficiency of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) platform. The Foundations Recovery Network (2015) begins by stating the reason for the inception of the D.A.R.E, stating the claim that the initiative started as a collaborative effort between school and law enforcement officials in 1983 to curb the use of drugs by students (Foundations Recovery Network, 2015). The institution discovered that the D.A.R.E began with high momentum, and its effects quickly spanned across America by the 1990s. The program also had a clear direction of guiding young individuals on how to deal with peer pressure concerning the use of drugs. These efforts were reinforced by the “Just Say NO” slogan that most adolescents and young adults could recognize.

However, as the years went by, the usefulness of D.A.R.E has emerged to decrease significantly. D.A.R.E. is an acronym that stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Developed by both law enforcement and school officials in 1983, the program was provided to youths as a formal way of introducing drug use information to young people in attempts to lower the rate of substance abuse down the road. Whether or not the Foundations Recovery Network (2015) determined that the program’s ability to discourage young individuals from abusing drugs reduced significantly both in the short and long term. For instance, by 2008, the percentage of students using marijuana in the United States was 19.4% for seniors, 13.8% for 10th graders, and 5.8% for 8th graders. In 2013, these numbers increased to 22.7%, 18%, and 7%, respectively (Foundations Recovery Network, 2015). Moreover, the study determined that students who completed the D.A.R.E program were no less likely to use illicit drugs, smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, or succumb to peer pressure as those who did not. Furthermore, young individuals who had completed the D.A.R.E platform were highly prone to develop low self-esteem in the future compared to those who did not. Nonetheless, the institution recommends alternatives to D.A.R.E that could be used to deter drug abuse among adolescents and young adults, including Project ALERT and Life Skills Training Program.

The Relevance of the Article

The study above is significant to the topic of discussion as it discusses the effectiveness of a drug deterrence program, which is useful in preventing crime in the society. In their book, The Prevention of Crime provides a unique and comprehensive overview of effective crime prevention programs, strategies and policies, demonstrating how criminological theories, research, and practice are interrelated. Offers the most cutting-edge, comprehensive summaries of effective interventions based on the latest research, by the foremost scholars on the topic of crime prevention in the U.S Provides unique practical information and discussions on how to effectively replicate prevention strategies in communities and criminal-justice settings is highly relevant to students, providing them with the latest research in this area Coverage of multiple theories of crime includes the more recent public-health and life-course developmental perspectives Includes a comprehensive review of the increasing number of effective crime prevention interventions and the practicalities of ensuring that these programs, practices and policies are effectively implemented, both in the U.S and in other countries Presents the most cutting-edge current and optimistic view regarding crime prevention: that it is possible to effectively reduce crime but that efforts need to start early in communities and continue through the life-course Elliott & Fagan (2017) explain that crime can be instigated by the physical and social situations in an area as per the Situational Crime Prevention Theory. Drug abuse is one of the factors that can contribute to high crime rates in society (Delbert Elliott, 2017). Evaluating the effectiveness of drug deterrence curriculums such as D.A.R.E is essential for coming up with the overall strategy that could be implemented to prevent crime in the country.

Crime Data as it relates to Drug Abuse

Drug abuse and crime have always had a strong correlation. N.I.D.A. (2020) reports that while it is difficult to estimate the number of inmates associated with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs), nearly 65% of the current inmates are estimated to have the problem. The institution further adds that another 20% may not meet the SUD’s standards but was under substance abuse at the time they were committing a crime. These statistics denote a positive correlation between drug abuse and crime. Thus, N.I.D.A. (2020) recommends that a substance abuse treatment program should be implemented in prison to help the offenders reform before returning to the community. The reform program will not only reduce drug abuse in society but will minimize crimes from previous offenders.

Effectiveness of the Crime Prevention Program

The statistics reported above clearly indicate that the D.A.R.E platform is ineffective in preventing crime. As mentioned earlier, a considerable population of the inmates in prisons inside the United States has been found to have SUDs (Delbert Elliott, 2017). These issues arise from abusing drugs and alcohol from a tender age. The D.A.R.E platform was developed to help adolescents stay away from drugs and manage peer pressure. However, as the crime data indicates, the program has failed terribly. The D.A.R.E initiative is infective in deterring young adults from indulging in drug abuse activities, which encourages them to commit crimes.

Besides, the ineffectiveness of the D.A.R.E platform can also be seen in the high number of individuals who may not be drug addicts but have at least abused drugs once in their lifetime. As N.I.D.A. (2020) reports, nearly 20% of the inmates in American prisons today do not meet the SUD’s standards but were under the influence of substance abuse while committing their crimes. These figures indicate that there is still a high number of young individuals who may not be drug addicts but have used drugs once in their lives. This section of the population also contributes to the high crime rate in the country. It reveals the infectiveness of the D.A.R.E platform, whose core responsibility is to prevent young adults and adolescents from indulging in any forms of drug abuse.

Overall

The D.A.R.E platform is not efficient in preventing crime in society by deterring drug and substance abuse in the country. When the physical and social environment instigates drug abuse, individuals are motivated to indulge in criminal activities as the situational crime prevention model suggests. This situation is being reflected by the high number of offenders with SUDs and other criminals who may not be drug addicts but were under the influence of drugs when committing an offense.

References

Elliott, D., & Fagan, A. (2017). The Prevention of Crime. John Wiley & Sons.

Foundations Recovery Network. (2015). Does the DARE Program Work? Dual Diagnosis. https://dualdiagnosis.org/drug-addiction/dare-program-work/

N.I.D.A. (2020). Criminal Justice Drug Facts. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/criminal-justice on 2020, June 22.