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| Students with multicultural backgrounds attend a foreign language and culture class at an elementary school in Seoul in this file photo. Korea Times file |
By Lee Hyo-jin
Tailored support measures are needed for children from multiracial backgrounds living in rural areas, as they showed a lower level of psychosocial adaptation compared to those in large cities, according to a study by the National Youth Policy Institute released Monday.
Such findings were included in the results of an 11-year-long longitudinal study conducted on school life, family environment, social adaptation and bicultural identity of multiracial children nationwide.
According to the findings, compared with those living in the metropolitan area, multiracial teenagers living in small towns showed lower levels of self-esteem and social competence ― they exhibited relatively lower capabilities in terms of feeling positive about themselves and interacting with others.
They also had lower assessments for physical and mental health and had less interaction with their parents, having fewer daily conversations on topics such as school life, personal problems, movies, books and hobbies.
The researchers gathered the information through separate interviews with 2,245 fourth grade elementary school students with mixed backgrounds across the country between July and August, 2019.
Based on such results, the researchers suggested that a more tailored approach is needed for the government's multiracial youth support policies to reach all teenagers living in various regions.
"The government should take a step further from its current policies that see multicultural youth as a homogeneous group, and come up with more detailed policies to resolve the development gap of children by region," the paper read.
The researchers suggested the government implement specialized projects and pilot programs empowering multiracial children in rural areas. They also advised local governments, regional education offices and government agencies dealing with rural affairs to develop joint systems to seek policies suitable for these children in rural areas.
They suggested improvements to the government's overall multiracial approach based on an analysis of its policies over the last 10 years.
The researchers assessed that multiracial family support measures have developed both in quantity and quality over time.
While earlier policies were centered on selectively providing support for children with such backgrounds, they have gradually shifted to an integrated plan, following concerns that selective support would lead to social stigmatization and discrimination.
The researchers concluded that there are improvements to be made, because many support programs, such as one-off events on Korean language education or other measures devised from the policymakers' perspective, were failing to reflect the actual needs of the beneficiaries.
"Such one-off projects and support policies based on stereotypes that multicultural teenagers are from marginalized households are not only ineffective and a waste of resources, but they also create discomfort to the beneficiaries," the study read, advising the government to reconsider such policies.
