Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> Background Disaster risk reduction (DRR) education is critical for protecting children from increasingly severe hydrometeorological events. Traditional DRR education often relies on fear appeals, which can induce overwhelming anxiety in children. Furthermore, the absence of validated assessment tools for middle childhood has precluded objective program evaluation. This study aimed to: develop a psychological preparedness scale for Japanese elementary school students and conduct a preliminary evaluation of a hybrid DRR intervention. Methods In Study 1, the Child version of the Psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale (C-PPDTS) was developed and adapted to the context of typhoon threats. Its factor structure was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a sample of 398 students in grades 4–6. In Study 2, 67 fourth-grade students participated in a 90-minute classroom intervention combining a video-based typhoon simulation (“Ametore”) with psychoeducation grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy principles. Changes in C-PPDTS scores were evaluated in a single-group pre-post design using a paired-samples <italic>t</italic> -test. Results CFA supported a 24-item second-order factor structure (CFI = .942, RMSEA = .059), with excellent internal consistency (α = .96). Students who had discussed disaster response with their families scored significantly higher than those who had not ( <italic>d</italic> = 0.73), supporting known-groups validity. In Study 2, psychological preparedness increased significantly from pre-to post-test, with a small-to-moderate effect size ( <italic>d</italic> = 0.40). Process measures indicated that the simulation induced realistic affective arousal and high program comprehension. Conclusions Pairing immersive threat simulation with coping-focused psychoeducation offers a promising preliminary model for school-based disaster education, that may overcome the limitations of traditional fear appeals. However, given the single-group design, these findings warrant confirmation in controlled trials. Trial registration: Not applicable as Study 2 evaluated an educational program delivered as part of the regular school curriculum. </p>