YOUTH’S ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR TOWARDS GAMBLING IN MACAO: AN EXAMINATION OF FOUR CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORIES

• Main Authors: CHAN CHEONG WAI, 陳暢偉
• Other Authors: JOU, SUSYAN
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/50047797432620840641

碩士 === 國立臺北大學 === 犯罪學研究所 === 96 === After the Macao government ended the monopoly system and agreed to liberalize the gaming industry in the early 21st century, the gaming industry in Macao has been prospering and therefore the economy in the region has developed vigorously. However, a great number of social problems have since arisen. Juvenile gambling is one of the major social problems that have attracted most public attention. This research is an empirical study on current juvenile gambling in Macao. In addition, the reasons why teenagers in Macao participate in gambling activities and the causes of pathological gambling will be analyzed through four criminological theories, namely: self control theory, social control theory, general strain theory and social learning theory. Purposive sampling is used in this research and 1,146 secondary school students in Macao participated in the survey. The major findings are as follows: 1. 51.8% of teenagers in Macao have participated in some kind of gambling activities in the last 12 months. On average, they spend MOP $ 189.91 on gambling each month. After the analysis of DSM-IV-MR-J criteria, it shows that 1.8% of teenagers are classified as pathological gamblers. 2. As far as the reasons why teenagers in Macao participate in gambling activities and the causes of pathological gambling are concerned, this research found that self control theory, social control theory, general strain theory and social learning theory are all applicable to help explain the degree of gambling participation of the teenagers and also to explain pathological gambling. Among the four criminological theories, social learning theory has the greatest capacity to help explaining the problems, while social control theory is least capable. In summary, this research suggests that the reasons why teenagers participate in or even become addicted to gambling are due to the following factors: school, family, peer and individual. By pushing and pulling each other, these factors interact and lead to the problems of gambling. If a teenager does not feel happy in school or at home and meets some friends who are in the habit of gambling, he will participating in the gambling activities with his friends, dependent on whether hi is a person who is against traditional values and has low self-control. By participating in the gambling activities, the teenager can forget about the unhappiness in his life and can seek instant gratification and also identify with his friends. The more he participates in gambling, the more addicted he becomes. In the end, pathological gambling may result. Based on the findings above, this research suggests the following prevention policies: 1. The government provides necessary resources, and establishes a school-centered preventive system which is based on a public health model. 2. The government provides necessary resources, and helps the school to provide the students with a friendlier environment which encourages interaction between teachers and students. It can help the students to have a happier campus life. 3. The government provides necessary resources, and guides parents how to teach their children and promote self control. This research has examined: the applicability of using criminological theories to explain specific behavior within this society, the overlap between the concept and measurement of criminological theories, generalizations from self control theory and the theoretical foundation of the juvenile gambling phenomenon.