1 in 5 ATTEMPT SUICIDE

Be wary of youth gambling
Written by
Jennifer Faringer
Guest essayist

Youths today are bombarded with media images that depict gambling as exciting and glamorous. They are exposed to messages about the benefits of gambling and the belief that they can make a lot of money in a short time.

As parents, it’s important to give a balanced message about the realities of gambling, the potential risks and the consequences.

In New York state, approximately 140,000 adolescents have experienced problems due to their gambling. An additional 10 percent are at risk for problem gambling.

Unlike other problem behaviors, gambling is the “silent addiction” with no physical signs to detect whether your child either has or is at risk for developing a gambling problem. One in five compulsive gamblers have attempted suicide.

We know teens are at greater risk than the general population for developing a gambling problem due to their vulnerability to a variety of social issues and stressors.

Consider the following warning signs and see whether you recognize any of these behaviors in your teen:

Do they experience mood swings based on winnings and losses?

Do they neglect other responsibilities in order to concentrate on gambling?

Do they show impatience with loved ones because they are interrupting their gambling?

Are they willing to eat less or go without food so that they can gamble?

Do they gamble with money intended for necessary expenses?

Do they fantasize about big winnings and believe that they will win back all of their losses?

If the answer is “yes” to four or more of the above risks, problem gambling may be affecting your teen and your family. Other important risk factors that affect our youths include favorable attitudes toward gambling by parents and other significant adults, having friends that gamble, having a family history of gambling, starting to gambling at an early age.

The increasing availability of gambling venues as well as community attitudes that both minimize the risks of gambling and are favorable to gambling negatively affect our youth.