The comparative study on the factors that affect adolescents’ online-offline gambling behavior: Focused on differential association theory

Abstract

Because adolescents’ gambling behavior causes various social problems over personal dimension problems, effective methods on not just themselves but home, school, and governmental levels(such as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Gender Equality & Family, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and National Police Agency) are urgently requested. Thus, this study analyzed empirically the reason for friends which is one of the quoted reasons for adolescents participating in gambling through the differential association theory suggested by Edwin H. Sutherland. In this study, to compare factors that affect adolescents' online and offline gambling, the researcher conducted an empirical analysis by using secondary data from the “2020’ adolescent gambling problem Survey” conducted by the Korea Center on Gambling Problems, and the subject of this survey was limited to middle and high school student who resides in Korea. As a result, it is suggested that differential association factors except friendship have significant effects on online and offline gambling behavior. Segregating friend’s effect on the type of adolescents’ gambling behavior, gambling with friends is suggested high level on offline gambling behavior, in contrast, on online gambling behavior, gambling with friends is suggested low level. Also, it is suggested that more introducing gambling by friends causes more addicting gambling on online and offline gambling behavior. To restrain adolescents' gambling, the gambling service provider should receive criminal punishment, and related organizations such as National Policy Agency regulate illegal gambling websites through cooperation with domestic and foreign organizations. Additionally, make adolescents control themselves for not to engage in gambling through active education and campaigns, and simultaneously systemic rehabilitation support system should be established for gambling addicted adolescents.