Problem Gambling and Delinquent Behaviours Among Adolescents: A Scoping Review

David T. Kryszajtys,Carolyn P. Ziegler,Flora I. Matheson,Sarah Hamilton-Wright,Tara E. Hahmann,Andrée Schuler

doi:10.1007/s10899-018-9754-2

Abstract

Despite many studies indicating an association between problem gambling and delinquent behaviours among adolescents, there has been no effort to systematically analyze the state of the literature on this relationship. To fill this gap, we conducted a scoping review of the literature published between 2000 and 2016 on problem gambling and delinquent behaviours among adolescents. We searched twelve databases and reviewed reference lists to identify eligible studies. Search terms included a combination of medical subject headings and keywords for gambling, youth, and delinquency, which were combined with the Boolean operator “AND”. 1795 studies were identified through the literature search. Nine studies were eligible for inclusion. All of the studies were conducted in North America, with primarily male participants, and most of the data were cross-sectional. No qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Screening tools used to measure problem gambling were inconsistent, making comparisons across studies difficult. We found a consistent moderate to strong association between problem gambling and delinquent behaviour. Only one study presented associations by socio-economic status and none considered gender, sex or ethnic differences. Studies in the review showed that problem gambling is associated with both violent and non-violent behaviours among adolescents. These associations may suggest that problem gambling and delinquent behaviours have common risk factors and reflect a syndrome of risky behaviours best targeted through prevention and treatment that is holistic and considers the context in which the youth is situated. Further research is warranted to better understand the relationship between problem gambling and delinquent behaviours.

Highlights

Adolescent Problem Gambling: A Public Health IssueAdolescent gambling has emerged as a serious public health concern as the use of emerging gambling technologies increase the likelihood that adolescents—under 19 years of age—will gamble for money (Gainsbury et al 2016; Meerkamper 2010)
Doing so allowed us to focus our definition of delinquency that would otherwise include a broad spectrum of behaviours
Future research should consider an examination of other delinquent behaviours, including truancy and substance use, in relation to problem gambling

Summary

Introduction

Adolescent Problem Gambling: A Public Health IssueAdolescent gambling has emerged as a serious public health concern as the use of emerging gambling technologies (e.g., free social media gambling) increase the likelihood that adolescents—under 19 years of age—will gamble for money (Gainsbury et al 2016; Meerkamper 2010). Gambling is associated with multiple harms among adolescents that include legal harms, harms to family, finances, employment, and mental and physical health (Shaffer and Korn 2002; Lambie and Randell 2013). Along with these harms, one of the more serious and less studied harms of adolescent gambling, the development of delinquent behaviours, can lead to involvement with the criminal justice system (Magoon et al 2005). Improved understanding of the relationship between problem gambling and delinquent behaviours among adolescents may reduce the public health harms associated with them

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