DARE Primary

DARE PRIMARY is a life skills and drug education programme for 9-11 year olds which seeks to work in partnership with schools, parents, carers and the wider community,  to help young people by:

•    Promoting citizenship and responsible behaviour
•    Helping young people to make healthy, safe and informed lifestyle choices
•    Developing young people’s skills and confidence to manage a variety of situations both in and out of the school environment
•    Developing drug education
•    Engaging parents, carers and families to encourage positive behaviour and healthy lifestyles

The 10 one hour sessions, aim to provide children with knowledge, skills, and an opportunity to explore attitudes, to help them to make informed decisions, and to develop safe and healthy lifestyles. Topics covered include, tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, volatile substances, bullying, anti social behaviour, and different types of pressure. Children also look at normative beliefs about alcohol and tobacco.

The sessions are interactive and provide a range of learning opportunities through individual activities, teamwork, discussions, storyboards, and appropriate role play.

Lesson 1- Introduction to DARE/Self Esteem
Explores children’s perceptions about what a drug is, and understanding that we live in a society where drugs are widely used, including legal drugs (medicines, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco) and illegal drugs. The children also begin to understand how all drugs can be harmful if they are misused. The session concludes with an introduction to looking at self esteem.

Lesson 2- Self Esteem/Friendship Building
Builds on the first session and looks at the factors that can influence self esteem, and provides children with strategies to help them to develop their self esteem. Children look at the qualities of good friends, how to recognise someone who isn’t a good friend and investigate the importance of choosing friends carefully.

Lesson 3- Pressure/Dealing with Dilemmas
This session encourages children to consider the different pressures we face from a variety of sources; including personal pressure, parental pressure, the media, and peer pressure. The emphasis in this session is on peer pressure and the different types, as well as a look at how to manage difficult situations, something that is practised throughout the rest of the programme.

Lesson 4- Tobacco
Children’s normative beliefs regarding tobacco use are assessed, and they explore different attitudes to smoking; for example, why people may choose to smoke. They are given accurate facts and information about tobacco  as well as the the effects of tobacco on the body.
Children are then introduced to a technique to guide them through the decision making process in difficult situations.

Lesson 5- Cannabis
Children look at the importance of gathering information from reliable sources. They are given accurate information about cannabis and its effects on the body

Lesson 6- Alcohol
Children’s normative beliefs regarding alcohol use are assessed, and they explore different attitudes to alcohol.  They are provided with information about the effects of alcohol on the body, including consequences to health and  the legal, financial and social consequences of alcohol use. There is the opportunity for further practice of decision making, and managing different situations.

Lesson 7- Volatile Substances
Children are provided with facts about the effects of volatile substances on the body, including consequences to health. Again there is the opportunity for decision making practice.

Lesson 8- Celebrating our Differences/Managing Disagreements/Bullying
This  session explores ways to manage disagreements appropriately and considers the consequences of inappropriate behaviour, on self and others. Bullying is discussed, with a look at why people may choose to bully, how people feel if they are bullied, and where to go for help if they or someone they know is being bullied.

Lesson 9- Anti-Social Behaviour/DARE Report
As a follow up to bullying, this session focuses on anti social behaviour, and its consequences  within the school and local community.. The children are then asked to review the DARE programme and to write a DARE ‘report’ about what they have gained from the programme.

Lesson 10- Review

There is the opportunity to reflect on the learning experience and prepare for the graduation ceremony.