ABSTRACT

IN MACAU, A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF CHINA FAMOUS FOR ITS VAST GAMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY INVESTIGATES MOTHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON TEENAGE GAMBLING BEHAVIORS. TEN MOTHERS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 30 AND 50 PARTICIPATED IN SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS AND COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES AS PART OF THIS STUDY TO INVESTIGATE HOW CAREGIVERS NAVIGATE THE TERRITORY'S PARTICULAR GAMBLING-HEAVY ENVIRONMENT IN ORDER TO LOWER THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH GAMBLING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. THE RESULTS IDENTIFY FIVE THEMES RELATED TO MACAU’S ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT IMPACT THE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO GAMBLE: THEME 1) THE PERVASIVE NORMALIZATION OF GAMBLING THROUGH ACCESSIBILITY AND VISIBILITY; THEME 2) CONFLICTS BETWEEN TRADITIONAL GAMBLING CUSTOMS AND CONTEMPORARY PROTECTIVE PARENTING; THEME 3) DIGITAL EXPOSURE TO GAMBLING CONTENT AND SIMULATED GAMBLING MECHANISMS IN VIDEO GAMES; THEME 4) PEER PRESSURE IN A SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT THAT ACCEPTS GAMBLING; AND FINALLY THEME 5) ECONOMIC RELIANCE ON THE GAMING INDUSTRY THAT RESTRICTS PERCEIVED CAREER OPTIONS. THE RESULTS ALSO DISCOVERED 3 MAJOR MOTHERS' ADAPTIVE PARENTING STRATEGIES, WHICH INCLUDE THEME 6) CONTEXTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES, THEME 7) COGNITIVE NEUTRALIZATION AND PROACTIVE REFRAMING, AND THEME 8) BALANCING SYSTEMIC RELIANCE AND PARENTAL EFFECTIVENESS. PARTICIPANTS STATED THAT THEY NEEDED MORE COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT AND EXPRESSED A LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO COMBAT PERVASIVE ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES DESPITE THESE EFFORTS. THE FACT THAT MOTHERS RECOGNIZE THE GAMING INDUSTRY'S ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE BUT LARGELY REJECT IT AS A VIABLE CAREER PATH FOR THEIR CHILDREN PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT PARADOX. THE REPORT UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR MULTI-LEVEL INTERVENTIONS—INCLUDING POLICY CHANGE, COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS, AND FAMILY-SPECIFIC RESOURCES—TO EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT PREVENTION EFFORTS IN VARIOUS GAMBLING-HEAVY ENVIRONMENTS.