Problem Gambling And Its Effects

The Grand National (horserace) spurs over a third of the adult population of the United Kingdom into having a flutter making it the country's single biggest gambling event. However, even with the recent boom in internet gambling, problems with gambling are often overlooked.

Problem gambling is the subject of a new research venture funded by Economic and Social Research Council in partnership with the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT). Funding worth around �920,000 over a three year period has been awarded to six projects researching the impacts of gambling on those involved as well as the broader implications for society.

Robin Burgess, Director of RIGT, states "Problem Gambling has a profound effect on not only those involved but the wider community around them. This funding, as well as building the research capacity in this field, will help us to understand why people become involved in gambling, how people learn to control their addiction, and how we can prevent people from becoming Problem Gamblers."

Projects, which are just beginning, will look at a range of issues including social contexts for problem gambling; how the distinction between problem and non-problem gambling is made; internet gambling; gambling-related brain responses in social and problem gamblers; impacts of gambling on family life as well as how young and vulnerable gamblers can be deterred. The research being funded has been chosen for its direct applicability to policy and practice in a neglected area. These studies will inform the way services are commissioned and how policy is formed.

"The ESRC is very pleased to be collaborating with the RIGT on this initiative. The studies proposed are of high quality and relevance, offering great potential for our understanding of harm related to gambling and how society can respond through regulation and the development of services," says ESRC Chief Executive, Professor Ian Diamond.

The six projects funded through this venture include:

-- Dr Gerda Reith and colleagues at the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Centre for Social Research, for a sociological study of routes in and out of problem gambling. Dr Reith has written extensively on the social, cultural and historical aspects of gambling, as well as the impacts of problem gambling

-- A team at Goldsmiths, University of London, for an anthropological study of betting in bookmakers and a study of Chinese community betting. The main author, Dr Rebecca Cassidy, has previously published widely on horseracing.

-- University Of Cambridge, for an MRI scanning study to identify brain responses to gambling tasks, especially near misses. Professor Trevor Robbins and Dr Luke Clark, who are leading this study, are world leaders in MRI scanning for compulsive behaviours.

-- At University of Cardiff, Dr Stephanie Van Goozen and Dr Simon Moore will lead a multi-disciplinary study of the associations between deviant youth and impulsivity and lack of control to gamble

-- Led by Dr Robert Rogers, a team at Oxford University will study internet gambling including personality traits and risk of on-line gamblers

-- Professor Gill Valentine and colleagues at Leeds University for a study of patterns of play and harm in families about internet gambling.

1. The ESRC is the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It provides independent, high quality, relevant research to business, the public sector and Government. The ESRC total expenditure in 2005/6 is �135million. At any time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and research policy institutes. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk

2. ESRC Society Today offers free access to a broad range of social science research and presents it in a way that makes it easy to navigate and saves users valuable time. As well as bringing together all ESRC-funded research (formerly accessible via the Regard website) and key online resources such as the Social Science Information Gateway and the UK Data Archive, non-ESRC resources are included, for example the Office for National Statistics. The portal provides access to early findings and research summaries, as well as full texts and original datasets through integrated search facilities. More at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk

3. RIGT - the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, exists to fund research, treatment and educational work about problem gambling. Our aim is to reduce the impact of problem gambling on society. Funded mainly by the UK gambling industry, but completely independent of it, RIGT seeks to ensure that people at risk of gambling problems are educated about problem gambling and that people affected by problem gambling get access to help and advice. Our main role is to commission treatment for problem gamblers through organisations like GamCare and Gordon house. RIGT also commissions education programmes and sponsors independent academic research into all facets of gambling behaviour to aid the development of policy and services. In May 2006, RIGt will be launching a new searchable on-line database of leading research into problem gambling. For details of this, and RIGT's other programmes, including other research funds, see http://www.rigt.org.uk

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Video Games Fun But Pose Social, Health Risks

Move over Tickle Me Elmo. The recently released Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 video game systems are rivaling the giggling red monster as the gifts children beg their parents for most this holiday season.

As coveted as these new video game systems and other models are, some parents may want to think twice before buying them for their children and teens, a University of Florida child psychologist says.

With more educational games hitting store shelves and one system, the Nintendo Wii, actually requiring players to peel themselves off the couch to use it, video game makers seem to be addressing concerns about how playing affects children. But too much gaming still puts children more at-risk for behavioral and health problems, which is why parents should consider how they will control children's playing before they buy a system, said Eric Storch, Ph.D., a UF assistant professor of pediatrics and psychiatry.

"If you're concerned it is going to be difficult to control how much your child is playing, then one recommendation would be not to tempt them," Storch said. "Don't purchase one of these systems."

Video games can be a good outlet for children who like them, but they shouldn't consume their lives, Storch added. Setting limits on playing time may help prevent casual gaming from spiraling into hours spent in front of a television screen with a controller.

Children and teens who play excessively often do so at the expense of homework, and playing solo can isolate children from their peers, potentially causing problems for them later in life, Storch said.

"Social interactions teach you how to deal with other people as well as what's appropriate and what's not," he said. "You learn how to handle situations. Social interaction is also one way of coping with stress and receiving emotional support."

Serious gamers who spend hours sitting in front of a TV also risk becoming obese and developing associated health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, Storch said. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to limit children's total TV, video game and computer time to two hours each day.

Unlike typical gaming systems, the new Nintendo Wii uses a wandlike controller that requires players to physically perform the action they want to see on-screen. The system gets users off the couch, but it's still not like playing soccer or jogging, Storch said.

On the other hand, research has shown that Dance Dance Revolution, a game that requires players to dance on a mat to mimic moves they see on their TV, elicits the same level of motion in children as other forms of exercise. But the game is a solo activity, Storch said. Dancing with friends or playing sports would get kids moving and give them a chance to spend time with peers, he said.

Although gamers lose time to participate in sports and other physical activities, video games aren't the sole reason many aren't more active, said Elizabeth Vandewater, Ph.D., an assistant professor of human development and family sciences and director of the Center for Research on Interactive Technology, Television and Children at the University of Texas. If the video games weren't there, many children would simply find something else to do inside, in part because crime and traffic increasingly hamper their ability to play outside, she said.

"Children in America are definitely less active," Vandewater said. "The question is whether (TV, computers and video games) are to blame."

Most parents know to watch out for violent and graphic video games, but even educational games may not be as beneficial as they seem in commercials. Many games that claim to be educational aren't evaluated to find out if children are actually learning from them, Vandewater said.

"Parents need to know they are being marketed to," she said.

Each family is different, so deciding whether to game is best left up to parents, Storch said. The key: Parents who do allow video games should establish limits and rules and stick with them. Those concerned about their children abiding by the limits can remove controllers or install a new swipe-card system that only allows them to play for a programmed amount of time, automatically shutting off the system when it lapses.

Another good strategy - have children do homework and play outside first, Storch said.

"There are certainly some positives to (video game playing)," Storch said. "For many kids it's really enjoyable. But moderation is the key."

University of Florida Health Science Center
1600 S.W. Archer Rd., Rm. C3-025
Gainesville, FL 32610
United States
http://www.health.ufl.edu/

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About Bullying…

About Bullying…

Unfortunately, bullying seems to be a part of growing up. In a sad way, it almost seems like a natural evolutionary instinct for some people. It’s like they need to be mean to make themselves feel better. People who bully others are sad individuals, and if you’re being bullied, just remember that when all is said and done, and everyone has grown up, one of two things will happen to bullies. They will either realize the error of their ways (stop bullying, and become normal people) or they won’t stop and probably turn out to be pretty awful people. Certainly not people I’d like to be friends with.


Kids can be so mean sometimes. They find the stupidest reasons to pick on others. When I was in first grade, I distinctly remember getting teased because of this one food I would eat at lunch. Do you know what that food was? Nutella! (If you’re not familiar with Nutella, it’s a brown, chocolate-hazelnut flavored spread which has a similar consistency to peanut butter. It’s very popular with Italians.) The other kids would laugh at me and say, “You’re eating poop! You’re eating poop!” This was fine with me at first, ‘cause I didn’t have to share any of my amazing chocolate-hazelnut goodness, but eventually it would start to make me really sad, and eventually I didn’t want to bring Nutella for lunch.

My mother realized what was happening and gave me a whole long speech about how I should be proud of who I am, and my culture. She said I “shouldn’t be ashamed to eat what I want” and all the usual stuff people tell a young child when they’re being teased. I really wish I listened more to people who were trying to help me through being bullied. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so self-conscious when I was younger, or maybe I’d be more confident in myself today.

As part of an ethnic minority in my neighborhood, I was constantly bullied growing up. Now, I’ve developed the “I don’t care what others think of me” attitude, and to be honest, it’s a much more suitable mentality for adulthood. Something you should always remember if bad things are happening to you at school or in your neighborhood is that things will change and get better when you are grown up. It’s not that everything will be perfect and you won’t ever run into mean people, but when you do – you won’t care as much about what they think or say.

If you are having trouble in school, it’s best to talk to a trusted adult and explain things to them. Don’t be afraid of sounding like a tattle. You can do what you have to do without lowering yourself to their level (or punching them in the face and getting in trouble for it). Sounds like a good plan to me! Ten years later, you’ll see them picking up Nutella in the supermarket, and you’ll smile, relax, and feel really good about yourself.

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