Research based prevention strategies for youth: What works

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Research based prevention strategies for youth
What works?

• Jeffrey L. Derevensky, Ph.D.
• International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems
  and High-Risk Behaviors
• McGill University
• Singapore Problem Gambling Conference
• July, 2007
• www.youthgambling.com

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Gambling/gaming has become normalized in our
society
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What do we mean by gambling prevention?

• Prevention programs are developed to reduce the
  likelihood of problematic gambling
• Prevention can target different subsets of
  populations or special population groups

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Prevention can occur on three levels

• Primary prevention targeting intervention to
  individuals who have not experienced a gambling
  problem.
• Secondary prevention targeting intervention to
  individuals exhibiting risky behaviors,
  inappropriate attitudes, and erroneous gambling
  cognitions.
• Tertiary prevention treatment of those
  individuals currently experiencing a serious
  gambling problem.

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Prevention Issues

• Abstinence
• Harm reduction/minimization

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Lessons learned from research on youth substance
abuse
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Substance Abuse Prevention

• Focused around two concepts
• risk protection and their interaction (Centre
  for Substance Abuse Prevention, 1999)
• Protective factors balance and buffer risk and
  ultimately lessen the likelihood of engaging in
  risk-taking behaviors or buffer exposure to
  problems (Hawkins, Catalano, Miller, 1992)
• Shift in focused prevention to focus on
  resiliency (Garmezy Streitman, 1974 Garmezy
  Masten, 1986 Lussier, Derrevensky Gupta, in
  press Luthar, 1992 Jessor, 1998 Rutter, 1979
  Werner, 1986)
• Education (Derevensky Gupta, 1998a, 1999 2006
  Gupta Derevensky, 1999, 2000)

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Gambling Prevention

• Prevention through risk-reduction
• individual
• family
• peer and social contexts
• community context
• Risk-reduction by enhancing protective factors
• attributes of the individual
• family support
• environmental support
• Using schools as a basis for prevention through
  promotion of social/personal competence

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Goals of prevention

• Improve knowledge
• Increase awareness
• Change inappropriate attitudes and/or encourage
  positive attitudes
• Correct false cognitions, understandings,
  erroneous beliefs (odds, skill vs. luck,
  strategies, superstitions)
• Behavior - prevent occurrence of excessive
  gambling - decrease/reduce excessive
  gambling patterns of behavior

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Learning objectives

• References to gambling within the context of
  perceived skill vs. luck. Gambling is primarily
  driven by chance. Teach youth through hands-on
  activities which contrast skill and luck.
• Teach children that time and money is better
  spent on other activities or purchases.
• Present the negative consequences of a gambling
  dependency and the positive consequences of
  making good decisions.

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Learning objectives

• Increase problem-solving skills.
• Increase feelings of self-confidence.
• Improve coping skills.
• Teach individuals to make good decisions for
  themselves in the face of peer pressure and
  social temptations.
• Note Each level of prevention should be
  developmentally appropriate. Not all objectives
  are addressed at all levels.

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Examples of learning objectives (specific)

• Introduce children to the notion of dependency
  and loss of control using concrete, familiar
  examples. These are then presented within a
  gambling context.
• Review other activities that can lead to a
  dependency (smoking, alcohol, drugs) and add
  gambling as another form of potential addictive
  behavior.
• Communicate that gambling problems can happen to
  anyone, including youth.

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Current Prevention Efforts
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Brochure targeting adolescents

• Educate teenagers on the risks involved in
  gambling
• Challenge certain myths about gambling
• Includes a self-evaluation questionnaire and
  centres coordinates to get help
• Distributed upon request and into schools visited

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Screening cards for teenagers

• Self-evaluation
• Try to ensure students retain our coordinates

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Poster contest

• Raise awareness about youth gambling problems in
  the schools
• Winning posters printed and distributed to all
  high-schools

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The true colors of gambling
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Mouse pads for school psychologists and
counsellors

• Raise awareness and ensure they have our
  coordinates
• Distributed to schools visited

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Elementary and High School Curriculum
Teacher manuals
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• Identifying personal risk and attitudes toward
  gambling
• Distinguishing responsible gambling behaviors
• Illusion of control personal risk
  characteristics risk for the development of a
  gambling problem
• Superstitious behaviors
• Knowing oneself and establishing limits
• Information on self-screening and how to get help

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• Importance of having a positive self-image
• Importance of friends as potential models
• Many people influence us but we are still
  responsible for our own decisions
• Peer pressure and how to resist by evaluating
  potential consequences
• Concerns re transition to high school are
  addressed

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• It is important to start targeting children at a
  young age.
• Our research indicates significant increases in
  gambling behaviors beginning at age 9 and 10. As
  a result, early interventions continuing through
  high school are most effective.

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• Children have the right to learn about the
  possible dangers inherent in excessive gambling.

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CD Rom
Teacher manuals
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CD-ROM

• Two levels elementary/junior high and secondary
• Self-administered but supervised by teacher
  (teacher manual included)
• Information and education
• Raising awareness in children and adolescents
  about the risks involved in gambling

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• Two types of activities
• Gambling The player loses more than he wins
  and he is reinforced when quitting the activity
• Skill The player receives accurate information
  on gambling and some attitudes and erroneous
  beliefs are challenged.
• ? Protective factors

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Amazing Chateau
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Hooked City
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Workshops - schools

• Elementary and High-School level
• Highly Interactive
• ? Targeted intervention
• Themes Gambling definition, at-risk people,
  chance and independance of events, addiction,
  warning signs, help resources, stress management,
  coping, problem-solving skills, etc.
• Requested by schools

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Did you know.

• Gambling in adolescence
• The facts you need to know

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• Any game of chance or skill that involves
  financial risk.
• Lottery tickets
• Cards for money (poker, blackjack)
• Sports betting (sports pools)
• VLT (video lottery terminals)
• Bingo
• Casino games

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• 4 of adolescents have a gambling addiction.
• In every class of 25, 1 student would have this
  addiction.
• Most are boys, but girls can also have a serious
  problem.

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What type of person is more likely to develop
this problem?

• Gambling pulls kids in from all types of
  families, economic backgrounds, ethnic groups,
  and religious faiths.

No one is immune
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• Enjoyment
• Excitement
• To win money

• Escape problems
• Feel important
• Feel alive

Be careful
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H T H T H H H

• Which of the following represents the GREATEST
  ODDS for the three next coin flips
• A) T T H
• B) H H H
• C) T H T
• D) T T T
• E) None of the above
• F) Any of the above

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2, 10, 18, _, _, _

/

• Which of the following three numbers would
  provide us with greater chances of winning the
  6/49 lottery?
• A) 19, 20, 21
• B) 27, 39, 44
• C) 23, 33, 43
• D) 20, 30, 40
• E) None of the above
• F) Any of the above

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Answers

• Each flip of a coin is independent from the
  others, so each has equal odds of occurring
• Each number on the ticket is independent from
  the other. 1 2 3 4 5 6 has as much chance of
  winning as any other sequence. Picking your own
  numbers does not increase your chances of
  winning.

/
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Drug Gambling
addiction addiction

• Cant think of anything else but doing drugs
• Need more and more to maintain a high
• Will do drugs at any cost
• Cant stop even if they want to
• Lying and stealing in order to keep doing drugs
• Drugs help them escape lifes problems..allows
  them to forget
• Consequences failing grades, problems with
  friends and family, risk of ending up in a
  detention center or jail

• Cant think of anything else but gambling
• Need to gamble more and more to maintain a high
• Will gamble at any cost
• Cant stop even if they want to
• Lying and stealing in order to keep gambling
• Gambling help them escape lifes problems..allows
  them to forget
• Consequences failing grades, problems with
  friends and family, risk of ending up in a
  detention center or jail

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• Youre constantly thinking about gambling
• Youre lying to friends and family about your
  gambling
• Youre borrowing and stealing in order to gamble

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• A gambling addiction can be devastating. With
  help, people who are hooked on gambling can learn
  to stop.
• Without professional help, they will risk losing
  everythingmaybe even their lives.

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• While most children and adolescents start
  gambling for fun, some end up with a serious
  gambling problem.
• BE CAREFUL. This is an addictive pastime and you
  can get hooked before you know it. If you feel
  you must gamble from time to time, do it with
  moderation. Set limits, and respect those
  limits.

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What type of person is more likely to develop
this problem?

• Gambling pulls kids in from all types of
  families, economic backgrounds, ethnic groups,
  and religious faiths.

No one is immune
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Clean Break
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Part I
Part I
General questions about gambling and
problem-gambling
General questions about gambling and
problem-gambling ________________________________
_______
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What are the characteristics of a gambling
addiction? How would you describe it?
What are the characteristics of a gambling
addiction? How would you describe it?
______________________________________

• Loss of control cant stop or respect
  self-imposed limits.
• Preoccupation.
• Serious personal and social consequences.
• Financial problems.
• Illegal acts.
• What else?

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What kinds of gambling activities can result in a
gambling addiction?
What kinds of gambling activities can result in a
gambling addiction? ______________________________
________

• scratch cards.
• sports betting.
• poker, blackjack.
• bingo.
• roulette.
• gambling machines.

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What are some of the warning signs that a
persons gambling is spinning out of control?
______________________________________
What are some of the warning signs that a
persons gambling is spinning out of control?

• Change in personality.
• Withdrawing from normal activities.
• Lying, fabricating stories and creating excuses.
• Gambling more than they can afford to.
• Gambling more and more frequently.
• School/work absenteeism.

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What is it about gambling activities that makes
us want to keep playing despite losing so
often? _________________________________________
What is it about gambling activities that makes
us want to keep playing despite losing so often?

• Intermittent reinforcement
• Winning interspersed within losing outcomes,
• creates the feeling that if you keep playing,
• you will eventually win.
• Misperception that gambling is an easy way to
  make money.

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What is it about gambling activities that makes
us want to keep playing despite losing so
often? _________________________________________
What is it about gambling activities that makes
us want to keep playing despite losing so often?

• Erroneous cognitions and an illusion of control
• The belief that one can create a system or
  uncover
• secrets that will result in
  big wins.
• Reinforcing factors, such as excitement and
  escape
• associated with gambling.

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Part II Questions specific to gambling scenarios
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________________________________________


What do you think the main message of the video
is?

Which scenarios were most effective in
communicating a message? _______________________
_________________
What emotions were triggered when watching the
video? ________________________________________

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If you could ask Did anything, what would that
be? _________________________________
If you could sit down and talk to any of
the characters in this video, which one would it
be? ________________________________________ Wha
t would you want to know about them? _____________
_________________________________________________


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Caroline and Marc ________________________________
_____
Caroline and Marc

• Why is Caroline so upset?
• Do you think this is the first time Marc upset
  her like that?
• What makes you believe that?
• Has Marc lost her trust? Can and should Caroline
  trust him?
• What do you think Marc will decide to do?
• (stop or keep on gambling)?

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Sabrina and Chantal _______________________
Sabrina and Chantal

• Do you think Chantal did the right thing by
  giving Sabrina
• an ultimatum?
• How can she help Sabrina?
• What do you think Sabrina is thinking about on
  the bridge?
• Do you think she went there for a particular
  reason?

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Sophie and Samuel ______________________________
_______

Sophie and Samuel

• What is the impact of Samuels parents problems
  on him?
• Is his gambling the only obvious consequence,
• or is it more extensive than that?
• What was Samuels breaking point?
• What do you think made him decide to try to put
  an end to his gambling?
• Is calling a helpline helpful? If so, how? What
  else could he do?
• Do you think its possible for him to stop
  gambling even
• if his friends keep gambling?

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Why do certain individuals develop gambling
problems while others do not? ___________________
_____________________   

• People gamble for different reasons. Individuals
  who have not developed gambling problems report
  playing primarily for entertainment and to test
  their luck. They dont necessarily believe that
  they can win but rather set aside a certain
  amount of money for leisure activities that they
  feel they can afford to lose. In contrast,
  individuals with a gambling problem report
  gambling to escape their problems, to feel
  important, or to feel alive. They have difficulty
  setting limits (time, money) and believe they can
  recoup gambling losses by developing strategies
  to predict the outcome.

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Are all people at risk for a gambling
problem?_____________________________

• The answer to this question is controversial.
  Anyone can develop a gambling addiction in the
  same way that anyone can develop an alcohol
  problem. It is true that certain circumstances
  and personal traits can increase ones risks.
  However, it is important for adolescents to
  recognize that they are not immune, and that
  young people from all walks of life do experience
  serious gambling-related problems.

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What should I do if someone I love, a friend,
family member or myself has a gambling
problem?_____________________________

• Anyone struggling with a gambling problem should
  be surrounded by a social support network and
  they should be encouraged to seek professional
  help. Family members and friends can play an
  important supportive role by not enabling their
  gambling, being available to engage them in
  alternate activities, and ensuring that they are
  emotionally supported.

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Closing questions _______________________________
______

Closing questions

• What can help prevent the development of
  gambling problems?
• What factors can lead to the development of a
  gambling problem?
• What are the indications that someone has lost
  control over their
• gambling behavior?