Parents' Perceptions of a School-Based Prevention Education Program

Abstract

There are few studies of parents' views about prevention education in general, or about specific prevention education activities. Yet, their perceptions are important because families are a primary socialization source, and because parents' opinions can either reinforce or countermand the message of prevention education programs. This article is an analysis of parents' views of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program based on a statewide survey of adults from rural, suburban, and urban communities who had a child participate in the program within the past year. Parent involvement and knowledge of D.A.R.E. was high. Generally, parents were very positive about D.A.R.E., especially when they viewed the D.A.R.E. officer as an effective educator. This article suggests that much more research on parents' views and support of prevention education program needs to be conducted, especially within the context of how their perceptions may mediate the influence of the prevention effort on young people's attitudes and behaviors about substance use.