NCJ Number
108979
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 27 Issue: 4 Dated: (Autumn 1987) Pages: 401-410
Date Published
1987
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A total of 100 consecutive admissions to Britain's Feltham Youth Custody Centre (males 15-21 years old) were surveyed to determine their involvement in gambling/video playing and its influence on their delinquency.
Abstract
Twenty-three percent of those who gambled (i.e., 60 percent of the full sample) and 21 percent of those playing video games (also 60 percent of the sample) said they had committed an offense to finance their habit. 'Criminal' video game players were the most distinctive subgroup; differences between them and 'noncriminal' players included their being younger, having started playing earlier, more frequently spending all their money playing, and reporting more relationship problems. Gamblers, both 'criminal' and 'noncriminal,' appeared more homogeneous and had fewer problems. Although gambling is part of the national culture, video game playing is a recent phenomenon with its own subculture, which may intensify the problems of its adherents. Causal links between gambling/video game playing and crime have yet to be established. There is a need to obtain objective data on these behaviors. 1 table and 18 references. (Author abstract modified)