Elementary students are just beginning to learn their ABCs, arithmetic, grammar and the facts on drugs, alcohol and sexual molestation with the help of community programs.

The “Here’s Looking at You 2,000” is one program designed to show children how to say no to more than just drugs through social and academic skills.

Through the program, teachers try to improve the self image of the participating students, said Del Brower, coordinator of drug and alcohol awareness in the DeKalb schools.

Possible signs of children who are susceptible to drug or alcohol use are anti-social behavior, poor grades and homes with family members who use drugs and alcohol, Brower said.

When students are considered to have “problematic behaviors,” a teacher’s assistant team tries to help the child overcome their problems, said Carol Lane, a DeKalb elementary school social worker formerly from Chicago.

This is a kind of “early intervention technique” that focuses on social and academic skills, which in the Chicago area schools is a “really important mechanism,” Lane said.

The DeKalb schools have a much more systematic and formal approach to educating their students about drugs and alcohol than Chicago does, she said.

Nowadays, children are under a lot more stress due to societal pressures, such as divorce and mobile families that keep children from having any lasting ties to an area, Lane said.

The program would like to show a child how to “say no and still keep his friends,” said Brower. The program shows kids that there are alternatives to drugs and alcohol, he said.

The program also shows a child that saying no when he is “tempted in any sexual situations” is okay, Brower said. Children also are taught that even over-the-counter drugs can be poisonous if used incorrectly.

The program asks for support from parents of the children through newsletters. “We’ll never conquer it (the drug and alcohol problem) by ourselves,” Brower said. “(The battle) cannot just be in the schools.”

The program is trying to get the community involved with service groups to build positive self images for children between the fifth and 12th grades, he said. One such program is a project to find a drug-free location where kids can meet.

The DeKalb Police Department is making rounds to elementary schools to discuss drugs, alcohol and the dangers involved with strangers in the classrooms, said Det. Ron Pearson.

To remind the first through fourth grade students of these dangers, the police are giving away 12-inch rulers with the information printed on the front and back, Pearson said.