Abstract
The study systematically examined the link between history of gambling, and substance-use and violence-related measures in male and female adolescents, and compared association differences between genders in representative youth risk behavior surveillance data. An anonymous survey was administered to 2425 9th- to 12th-grade students in the state of Connecticut to assess risk behaviors that impact health. Reported past-12-months gambling was the independent variable of interest. Chi squares and adjusted odds-ratios were computed to determine gambling associations with demographic variables, substance-use, and violence-related measures, and whether associations were different between genders. Among students, 18.6% reported gambling. Reported gambling in males and females associated with lifetime use of any drugs, marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, heroin, methamphetamines, ecstasy, synthetic marijuana, non-medical pain-relievers, and injected drugs, in addition to past-30-days cigarette smoking, alcohol and heavy alcohol drinking, and marijuana use. Gambling associated with reported weapon-carrying, being threatened or injured with a weapon, forced sexual intercourse, bullying, and electronic bullying in males; physical dating violence in females; and physical fighting and sexual dating violence in both groups. Gambling and gender interaction terms did not associate with outcome measures except synthetic marijuana use, which trended towards significance (P = 0.052). Gambling in adolescence was similarly linked to risk behaviors involving substance-use in males and females, though gambling relationships with different violence-measures varied between genders. Assessing gambling behavior may be important for targeted preventions focused on adolescents at risk for substance-use disorder and physical violence.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnes, G. M., Welte, J. W., Tidwell, M.-C. O., & Hoffman, J. H. (2015). Gambling and substance use: Co-occurrence among adults in a recent general population study in the United States. International Gambling Studies, 15(1), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/14459795.2014.990396.
Billieux, J., Schimmenti, A., Khazaal, Y., Maurage, P., & Heeren, A. (2015). Are we overpathologizing everyday life? A tenable blueprint for behavioral addiction research. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 4(3), 119–123. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.4.2015.009.
Blanco, C., Hasin, D. S., Petry, N., Stinson, F. S., & Grant, B. F. (2006). Sex differences in subclinical and DSM-IV pathological gambling: Results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions. Psychological Medicine, 36(7), 943–953. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291706007410.
Bonar, E. E., Ashrafioun, L., & Ilgen, M. A. (2014). Synthetic cannabinoid use among patients in residential substance use disorder treatment: Prevalence, motives, and correlates. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 143, 268–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.07.009.
Bonnaire, C., Kovess-Masfety, V., Guignard, R., Richard, J. B., du Roscoat, E., & Beck, F. (2016). Gambling type, substance abuse, health and psychosocial correlates of male and female problem gamblers in a nationally representative French sample. Journal of Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-016-9628-4.
Boyd, C. J., Young, A., Grey, M., & McCabe, S. E. (2009). Adolescents’ nonmedical use of prescription medications and other problem behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(6), 543–550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.03.023.
Burge, A. N., Pietrzak, R. H., & Petry, N. M. (2006). Pre/early adolescent onset of gambling and psychosocial problems in treatment-seeking pathological gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studie, 22(3), 263–274. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-006-9015-7.
Calado, F., Alexandre, J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Prevalence of adolescent problem gambling: A systematic review of recent research. Journal of Gambling Studies, 33(2), 397–424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-016-9627-5.
Canale, N., Vieno, A., Griffiths, M. D., Rubaltelli, E., & Santinello, M. (2015). How do impulsivity traits influence problem gambling through gambling motives? The role of perceived gambling risk/benefits. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 29(3), 813–823. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000060.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Vital signs: Overdoses of prescription opioid pain relievers-United States, 1999–2008. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 60(43), 1487–1492.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017a). Youth risk behavior survey data. www.cdc.gov/yrbs. Accessed 2 May 2018.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017b). Youth risk behavior survey Questionnaire. www.cdc.gov/yrbs. Accessed 2 May 2018.
Chalmers, H., & Willoughby, T. (2006). Do predictors of gambling involvement differ across male and female adolescents? Journal of Gambling Studies, 22(4), 373–392. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-006-9024-6.
Chang, F. C., Lee, C. M., Chiu, C. H., Hsi, W. Y., Huang, T. F., & Pan, Y. C. (2013). Relationships among cyberbullying, school bullying, and mental health in Taiwanese adolescents. Journal of School Health, 83(6), 454–462.
Clayton, H. B., Lowry, R., Ashley, C., Wolkin, A., & Grant, A. M. (2017). Health risk behaviors with synthetic cannabinoids versus Marijuana. Pediatrics, 139(4), e20162675. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2675.
Connecticut State Department of Public Health. (2017). CT 2007-2017 Trend Report. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Departments-and-Agencies/DPH/CSHS/YRBS2017CT10YearTrendReport.pdf?la=en. Accessed 2 May 2018.
Cook, S., Turner, N. E., Ballon, B., Paglia-Boak, A., Murray, R., Adlaf, E. M., et al. (2015). Problem gambling among ontario students: Associations with substance abuse, mental health problems, suicide attempts, and delinquent behaviours. Journal of Gambling Studies, 31(4), 1121–1134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-014-9483-0.
Currie, C. L., Schopflocher, D. P., & Wild, T. C. (2011). Prevalence and correlates of 12-month prescription drug misuse in Alberta. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(1), 27–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371105600106.
Delfabbro, P., Winefield, T., Trainor, S., Dollard, M., et al. (2006). Peer and teacher bullying/victimization of South Australian secondary school students: Prevalence and psychosocial profiles. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 71–90. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709904X24645.
Desai, R. A., Maciejewski, P. K., Pantalon, M. V., & Potenza, M. N. (2005). Gender differences in adolescent gambling. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 17(4), 249–258. https://doi.org/10.3109/10401230500295636.
Desai, R. A., & Potenza, M. N. (2008). Gender differences in the associations between past-year gambling problems and psychiatric disorders. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43(3), 173–183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0283-z.
Donovan, J. E., & Jessor, R. (1985). Structure of problem behavior in adolescence and young adulthood. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53(6), 890–904.
Dowling, N. A., Merkouris, S. S., Greenwood, C. J., Oldenhof, E., Toumbourou, J. W., & Youssef, G. J. (2017). Early risk and protective factors for problem gambling: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 51, 109–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2016.10.008.
Dowling, N. A., Suomi, A., Jackson, A., Lavis, T., Patford, J., Cockman, S., et al. (2016). Problem gambling and intimate partner violence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma Violence Abuse, 17(1), 43–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838014561269.
Echeburua, E., Gonzalez-Ortega, I., de Corral, P., & Polo-Lopez, R. (2011). Clinical gender differences among adult pathological gamblers seeking treatment. Journal of Gambling Studies, 27(2), 215–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-010-9205-1.
Ellenbogen, S., Derevensky, J., & Gupta, R. (2007). Gender differences among adolescents with gambling-related problems. Journal of Gambling Studies, 23(2), 133–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-006-9048-y.
Erickson, P. G., Butters, J. E., Cousineau, M. M., Harrison, L., & Korf, D. (2006). Girls and weapons: An international study of the perpetration of violence. Journal of Urban Health, 83(5), 788–801. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-006-9038-5.
Fauth-Buhler, M., Mann, K., & Potenza, M. N. (2016). Pathological gambling: A review of the neurobiological evidence relevant for its classification as an addictive disorder. Addiction Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12378.
Grant, J. E., Lust, K., Christenson, G. A., Redden, S. A., & Chamberlain, S. R. (2019). Gambling and its clinical correlates in university students. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 23(1), 33–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/13651501.2018.1436715.
Griffiths, M. (2002). Occupational health issues concerning Internet use in the workplace. Work and Stress, 16(4), 283–286.
Hardoon, K. K., Gupta, R., & Derevensky, J. L. (2004). Psychosocial variables associated with adolescent gambling. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18(2), 170–179. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-164x.18.2.170.
Hodgins, D. C., Stea, J. N., & Grant, J. E. (2011). Gambling disorders. The Lancet, 378(9806), 1874–1884. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62185-X.
Kann, L., McManus, T., Harris, W. A., Shanklin, S. L., Flint, K. H., Queen, B., et al. (2018). Youth risk behavior surveillance United States. MMWR Surveillance Summary, 67(8), 1–114.
Khan, S. S., Secades-Villa, R., Okuda, M., Wang, S., Perez-Fuentes, G., Kerridge, B. T., et al. (2013). Gender differences in cannabis use disorders: Results from the national epidemiologic survey of alcohol and related conditions. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 130(1), 101–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.10.015.
Kircaburun, K., Demetrovics, Z., Király, O., & Griffiths, M. D. (2018). Childhood emotional trauma and cyberbullying perpetration among emerging adults: A multiple mediation model of the role of problematic social media use and psychopathology. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-018-9941-5.
Korman, L. M., Collins, J., Dutton, D., Dhayananthan, B., Littman-Sharp, N., & Skinner, W. (2008). Problem gambling and intimate partner violence. Journal of Gambling Studies, 24(1), 13–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-007-9077-1.
Kryszajtys, D. T., Hahmann, T. E., Schuler, A., Hamilton-Wright, S., Ziegler, C. P., & Matheson, F. I. (2018). Problem gambling and delinquent behaviours among adolescents: A scoping review. Journal of Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-018-9754-2.
Ladd, G., & Petry, N. M. (2002). Gender differences among pathological gambers seeking treatment. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 10(3), 302–309. https://doi.org/10.1037/1064-1297.10.3.302.
Leary, M. R., Kowalski, R. M., Smith, L., & Phillips, S. (2003). Teasing, rejection, and violence: Case studies of the school shootings. Aggressive Behavior, 29(3), 202–214. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.10061.
Lee, C., & Shin, N. (2017). Prevalence of cyberbullying and predictors of cyberbullying perpetration among Korean adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior, 68, 352–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.11.047.
Leeman, R. F., & Potenza, M. N. (2012). Similarities and differences between pathological gambling and substance use disorders: A focus on impulsivity and compulsivity. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 219(2), 469–490. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-011-2550-7.
Lorains, F. K., Cowlishaw, S., & Thomas, S. A. (2011). Prevalence of comorbid disorders in problem and pathological gambling: Systematic review and meta-analysis of population surveys. Addiction, 106(3), 490–498. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03300.x.
Magoon, M. E., Gupta, R., & Derevensky, J. (2005). Juvenile delinquency and adolescent gambling: Implications for the juvenile justice system. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 32(6), 690–713. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854805279948.
Martins, S. S., Segura, L. E., Santaella-Tenorio, J., Perlmutter, A., Fenton, M. C., Cerdá, M., et al. (2017). Prescription opioid use disorder and heroin use among 12-34 year-olds in the United States from 2002 to 2014. Addictive Behaviors, 65, 236–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.08.033.
McCabe, S. E., West, B. T., & Boyd, C. J. (2013). Medical use, medical misuse, and nonmedical use of prescription opioids: Results from a longitudinal study. Pain, 154(5), 708–713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2013.01.011.
Medeiros, W., Torro-Alves, N., Malloy-Diniz, L. F., & Minervino, C. M. (2016). Executive functions in children who experience bullying situations. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01197.
Mishra, S., Lalumière, M. L., Morgan, M., & Williams, R. J. (2011). An examination of the relationship between gambling and antisocial behavior. Journal of Gambling Studies, 27(3), 409–426. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-010-9217-x.
Moghaddam, J. F., Yoon, G., Dickerson, D. L., Kim, S. W., & Westermeyer, J. (2015). Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in five groups with different severities of gambling: Findings from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions. American Journal on Addictions, 24(4), 292–298. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.12197.
Ninnemann, A. L., Jeong Choi, H., Stuart, G. L., & Temple, J. R. (2017). Longitudinal predictors of synthetic cannabinoid use in adolescents. Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-3009.
Patrick, M. E., O’Malley, P. M., Kloska, D. D., Schulenberg, J. E., Johnston, L. D., Miech, R. A., et al. (2016). Novel psychoactive substance use by US adolescents: Characteristics associated with use of synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones. Drug and Alcohol Review, 35(5), 586–590. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.12372.
Petry, N. M., & Tawfik, Z. (2001). Comparison of problem-gambling and non–problem-gambling youths seeking treatment for Marijuana Abuse. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40(11), 1324–1331. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-200111000-00013.
Pilver, C. E., Libby, D. J., Hoff, R. A., & Potenza, M. N. (2013). Gender differences in the relationship between gambling problems and the incidence of substance-use disorders in a nationally representative population sample. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 133(1), 204–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.05.002.
Potenza, M. N. (2014). The neural bases of cognitive processes in gambling disorder. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18(8), 429–438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2014.03.007.
Potenza, M. N., Maciejewski, P. K., & Mazure, C. M. (2006). A gender-based examination of past-year recreational gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 22(1), 41–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-005-9002-4.
Potenza, M. N., Wareham, J. D., Steinberg, M. A., Rugle, L., Cavallo, D. A., Krishnan-Sarin, S., et al. (2011). Correlates of at-risk/problem internet gambling in adolescents. Journal of the American Acadademy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 50(2), 150–159.e153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2010.11.006.
Proimos, J., DuRant, R. H., Pierce, J. D., & Goodman, E. (1998). Gambling and other risk behaviors among 8th- to 12th-grade students. Pediatrics, 102(2), e23.
Rahman, A. S., Balodis, I. M., Pilver, C. E., Leeman, R. F., Hoff, R. A., Steinberg, M. A., et al. (2014). Adolescent alcohol-drinking frequency and problem-gambling severity: Adolescent perceptions regarding problem-gambling prevention and parental/adult behaviors and attitudes. Substance Abuse, 35(4), 426–434. https://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2014.951754.
Rahman, A. S., Pilver, C. E., Desai, R. A., Steinberg, M. A., Rugle, L., Krishnan-Sarin, S., et al. (2012). The relationship between age of gambling onset and adolescent problematic gambling severity. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 46(5), 675–683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.02.007.
Reynolds, B. (2006). A review of delay-discounting research with humans: Relations to drug use and gambling. Behavioural Pharmacology, 17(8), 651–667. https://doi.org/10.1097/FBP.0b013e3280115f99.
Richard, J., & Derevensky, J. (2017). Identifying the relationship between mental health symptoms, problem behaviors and gambling among adolescents. Annals of Behavioural Science, 3(2), 1–9.
Roberts, A., Landon, J., Sharman, S., Hakes, J., Suomi, A., & Cowlishaw, S. (2018). Gambling and physical intimate partner violence: Results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions (NESARC). The American Journal on Addictions, 27(1), 7–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.12656.
Scherrer, J. F., Xian, H., Kapp, J. M., Waterman, B., Shah, K. R., Volberg, R., et al. (2007). Association between exposure to childhood and lifetime traumatic events and lifetime pathological gambling in a twin cohort. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 195(1), 72–78. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nmd.0000252384.20382.e9.
Slavin, M., Pilver, C. E., Hoff, R. A., Krishnan-Sarin, S., Steinberg, M. A., Rugle, L., et al. (2013). Serious physical fighting and gambling-related attitudes and behaviors in adolescents. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2(3), 167.
Smith, P. K., Catalano, R., Slee, P., Morita, Y., Junger-Tas, J., & Olweus, D. (1999). The nature of school bullying: A cross-national perspective. Abingdon: Routledge.
Storr, C. L., Lee, G. P., Derevensky, J. L., Ialongo, N. S., & Martins, S. S. (2012). Gambling and adverse life events among urban adolescents. Journal of Gambling Studies, 28(2), 325–336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-011-9254-0.
Toneatto, T., & Brennan, J. (2002). Pathological gambling in treatment-seeking substance abusers. Addictive Behaviors, 27(3), 465–469. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4603(00)00173-8.
Turner, N. E., Ialomiteanu, A., Paglia-Boak, A., & Adlaf, E. M. (2011). A typological study of gambling and substance use among adolescent students. Journal of Gambling Issues, 25, 88–107.
Vitaro, F., Brendgen, M., Ladouceur, R., & Tremblay, R. E. (2001). Gambling, delinquency, and drug use during adolescence: Mutual influences and common risk factors. Journal of Gambling Studies, 17(3), 171–190. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1012201221601.
Volberg, R. A., Gupta, R., Griffiths, M. D., Olason, D. T., & Delfabbro, P. (2010). An international perspective on youth gambling prevalence studies. Internatonal Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 22(1), 3–38.
Welte, J. W., Barnes, G. M., Tidwell, M.-C. O., & Hoffman, J. H. (2009). Association between problem gambling and conduct disorder in a national survey of adolescents and young adults in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(4), 396–401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.02.002.
Winters, K. C., Arthur, N., Leitten, W., & Botzet, A. (2005). Gambling and drug abuse in adolescence. In J. L. Derevensky & R. Gupta (Eds.), Gambling problems in youth: Theoretical and applied perspectives (pp. 57–80). Boston: Springer.
Wood, K. E. (2013). Exposure to Bath salts and synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol from 2009 to 2012 in the United States. The Journal of Pediatrics, 163(1), 213–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.12.056.
Yip, S. W., Desai, R. A., Steinberg, M. A., Rugle, L., Cavallo, D. A., Krishnan-Sarin, S., et al. (2011). Health/functioning characteristics, gambling behaviors, and gambling-related motivations in adolescents stratified by gambling problem severity: Findings from a high school survey. The American Journal on Addictions, 20(6), 495–508. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1521-0391.2011.00180.x.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Connecticut Mental Health Center, the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, and a Center of Excellence in Gambling Research Award from the National Center for Responsible Gaming. The funding agencies had no role in data collection or analysis or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. We thank Ms. Celeste Jorge, MPH, and the State of Connecticut for facilitating access to the YRBS data.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Drs. ZWZ and MNP designed the study. Dr. ZWZ and Ms. GLD conducted analyses and worked with Dr. MNP to develop initial drafts of the manuscript. All authors provided critical feedback with respect to the content of the manuscript. All authors had full access to all data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors report no conflict of interest with respect to the content of this manuscript. Dr. Potenza has received financial support or compensation for the following: he has consulted for RiverMend Health, Game Day Data, the Addiction Policy Forum, and Opiant Pharmaceuticals; has received research support from Mohegan Sun Casino and the National Center for Responsible Gaming; and has consulted for gambling and legal entities on issues related to addictive disorders. The views presented in this manuscript represent those of the authors and not necessarily those of the funding agencies.
Informed Consent
All participants gave informed consent.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee (Yale Human Investigation Committee: 2000023801) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The research activity qualifies as exempt from review by the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s Human Investigation Committee under federal guidelines 45 CFR 46.101 (b) (7): (4) Research that involves the collection or study of existing data, documents, records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if these sources are publicly available or if the information is recorded by the investigator in such a manner that subjects cannot be identified directly or through identifiers linked to the subject.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhai, Z.W., Duenas, G.L., Wampler, J. et al. Gambling, Substance Use and Violence in Male and Female Adolescents. J Gambl Stud 36, 1301–1324 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-020-09931-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-020-09931-8