Assessing the effectiveness of a water safety program for junior high school students in Japan 1

Abstract

Water safety programs to protect children from water-related accidents and increase their awareness of the risk factor crucial to maintaining safety. This study examined the behavior of 48 junior high school students after an intervention program on water safety in a river using the Rohrmann’s Risk Communication Model and the Analysis, Design, Development, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model. A self-administered questionnaire was designed to collect responses about the children’s perception of danger at three-time points: pre-post-post (5 months) after the program’s implementation. We hypothesized that water safety education can increase children’s awareness of appropriate behavior around water and raise their awareness of danger. The evaluation indicators consisted of an increase in the awareness of the water area risk perception, general risk acceptance, and risk-taking behavior. The results suggest that practical water safety program may have a positive effect on the students’ awareness of water safety and help prevent water accidents. This study is unique in that it was conducted in a natural body of water.