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Recent Study Reveals Gambling Epidemic Among Scottish Children
The first extensive study of gambling addiction in Scotland youth has yielded the following data: almost 1 in 10 Scottish children is a problem gambler.
The study revealed that some children as young as 11 years old skip school in order to gamble in slot parlors. The study of over 2,000 pupils from 12 schools across West Central Scotland signaled that 9% of these pupils exhibited behavioral signs indicating their susceptibility to becoming full-fledged gambling addicts. England and Wales tallied 6%.
Furthermore, 15% of Scottish children are also deemed at risk of developing a gambling habit.
According to researchers, there is a direct link between problem gambling in childhood and a full-fledged adult addiction to casino gambling. At present, the average Scottish adult spends almost 1,900 GBP a year on gambling, a number that has multiplied 3-fold from only 4 years ago. Gambler Anonymous, a support group for gamblers, has reported a 200% rise in the number of gambling addicts seeking help from them in Edinburgh alone.
The research team from Glasgow Caledonian University asked the children questions about their gambling habits. For instance, the children were asked whether they had missed school to gamble, if they felt it difficult to stop gambling, if they became tense and irritable if asked to stop, or if they had experienced problems with their family because of the habit.
The study revealed that 9.7% of secondary school pupils, aged 13 or 14 had a gambling problem, as well as 8.6% of students aged 15 or 16.
The study also showed that boys are over 3 times more likely to be problem gamblers than girls.
Tuesday, February 13 , 2007
Edward O'Connor