Jeux de hasard et d'argent chez les adolescents en centre jeunesse : comparaison en fonction des lois

摘要

Abstract Adolescents under the care of Youth centers present with many risk factors related to the development of pathological gambling. This study describes gambling habits of participants under the Young Offenders Act (YOA) and participants under the Youth Protection Act (YPA), and compare these gambling habits to those of high school teenagers. Face to face interviews were conducted with 74 adolescents from two youth centers in Quebec, Canada. Results show that YOA adolescents report different gambling habits than YPA participants. The YOA adolescents constitute a subgroup at risk of developing gambling problems. Further, adolescents perceive that their time spent in Youth centers has almost no impact on their gambling habits. Findings illustrate the importance to create a prevention program targeting adolescents under the care of Youth centers.