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. 2018 Sep;34(3):893-914.
doi: 10.1007/s10899-018-9754-2.

Problem Gambling and Delinquent Behaviours Among Adolescents: A Scoping Review

David T Kryszajtys  1   2 , Tara E Hahmann  2 , Andrée Schuler  3 , Sarah Hamilton-Wright  2 , Carolyn P Ziegler  4 , Flora I Matheson  5   6   7   8
Affiliations

Problem Gambling and Delinquent Behaviours Among Adolescents: A Scoping Review

David T Kryszajtys et al. J Gambl Stud. 2018 Sep.

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.

Keywords: Adolescents; Delinquency; Problem gambling; Public health; Scoping review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Statement

This study did not involve human research participants.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of study selection
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Risk and protective factors, risk behaviors and risk outcomes Adapted from: Jessor (1991, p. 602)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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