Effect of Diversity Education on Young Adolescents in Japan: Toward the “Do No Harm” Principle

Abstract

This study evaluated the impact of a semi-structured diversity education program on young adolescents, which included five 45-min sessions facilitated by schoolteachers using an instructors’ manual. The study compared changes in knowledge and attitude related to diversity, self-esteem, and mental health among participants before and after the program. The participants were 776 junior high school students. Self-esteem and mental health conditions were assessed with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Kessler 6-Item Psychological Distress Scale (K6). The ratio of those who answered the knowledge and attitude questions correctly increased significantly for most questions, while the ratio decreased significantly for two questions. The RSES scores improved significantly after the program, but the difference was very small. Mental health, as measured by K6, became significantly worse after the program. A logistic regression analysis indicated that lower K6 scores before the program and worse academic grades had significantly higher odds ratios; being a girl, not having a disability, and having close friends were associated with worse K6 scores after the program. Further, this indicates the importance of developing processes based on evidence and the “nothing about us without us” principle.