Dare to make a Choice: an evaluation of short-term outcomes

Abstract

In the absence of clear direction on drug abuse resistance education in the Health syllabus for New Zealand schools, in recent years there have been many programmes using differing approaches introduced into schools at both primary and secondary levels. In primary and intermediate schools a programme which has gained considerable national coverage is Dare to make a Choice. This is most commonly referred to by students and teachers simply as DARE, and by police education officers involved in programme delivery as Choice - in order to differentiate it from other DARE programmes which have been developed since the core curriculum was introduced in the late 1980s. The approach used in the programme is one based on the psychosocial (social competency) model of learning, ie one which focuses primarily on developing the social skills of the participants by working on increasing self-esteem, and on goal setting, problem solving and decision making skills. The draft curriculum which is loosely based on Project DARE devised in Los Angeles in 1983, underwent a series of formative and outcome evaluations between 1989 and 1992. The present research builds on findings from these earlier studies and a pilot study completed in 1994 in which the effects of the programme on children's self-esteem were examined. Children from three schools in the Greater Wellington area participated in the evaluation of short-term outcomes of Choice, with all those involved being from Year 7 and 8 classes (Forms 1 and 2). Children at these schools were from differing ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Those participating in the study completed pre and post-programme questionnaires which focused on self-esteem using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (an American testing instrument), and a questionnaire developed for the present study which primarily focused on the participants knowledge about, and attitudes towards commonly used drugs including alcohol and tobacco. Numbers surveyed were 149 at the pre-test stage and 156 at the post-test stage. Baseline information was also sought from teachers and children. The post-test results indicated that in all three schools there had been positive changes in levels of self-esteem shortly after the completion of Choice, and improved understanding of the effects of commonly used/misused drugs, and attitudes towards and perceptions about drug use in their communities. At the conclusion of the report limitations of the study have been acknowledged, and suggestions have been made for ongoing research into the value of the programme in meeting its objectives, ie the minimisation of drug use and misuse amongst our young people.