The program disseminates a middle-school curriculum, patterned after the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, to help young children overcome peer pressure to join gangs. The Phoenix department developed the program in response to a growing influx of well-established gangs involved in drug dealing and violence. Gang recruitment begins early, as older gang members serve as role models for young children. The eight-week program for seventh-graders consists of an introductory session followed by discussions of crimes/victims and individual rights, cultural sensitivity and prejudice, conflict resolution, meeting basic needs, drugs and neighborhoods, responsibility, and goal setting. A Summer Recreation Project has also been developed to provide recreational activities for at-risk youngsters, to present alternatives to gang membership, and to add structure to summer vacation. During the 1992-1993 school year, 9,000 Phoenix students participated in the program, taught by seven city police officers; in addition, the Phoenix department has trained 190 officers from agencies in Arizona and other States.