Teach Secondary 14.4

Risk reduction Sam Starsmore explains why schools can play a vital role in warning students of the harms around online gambling ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sam Starsmore is education programme lead at Ygam – the UK’s leading charity dedicated to preventing gaming and gambling harms among young people. To book a bespoke training session for your school, contact training@ygam.org ; to book a place on an open session, visit ygam.org mechanics of gambling, helping themmake informed choices and recognise how the gambling industry encourages repeated gambling. Promoting healthy relationships: Teachers can facilitate discussions around home environments, peer pressure and the emotional drivers behind gambling. Exposure to parental gambling can elevate the risk of their children experiencing gambling harms. By helping students develop the confidence to recognise unhealthy influences in their families and friends, they’ll be better placed to build resilience, and protect both themselves and those around them. Addressing emotional regulation: By teaching coping strategies for negative emotions and sensation- seeking, educators can reduce the appeal of gambling as a form of escapism or affirmation. Digital safeguarding: In a digital world where gambling is increasingly pervasive, teachers can play a crucial role in educating and protecting young people from the risks that threaten their future. G ambling is no longer limited to casinos and betting shops. It’s now deeply embedded in the online world, seamlessly woven into the digital spaces that captivate and consume so much of young people’s lives. In light of this increased exposure to gambling in the digital spaces where students spend their time, however, secondary teachers are in a powerful position to safeguard students from gambling-related harms. Why early intervention matters Research shows that young people who gamble before adulthood are at a higher risk of experiencing gambling harms later in life. Education interventions for secondary students can be crucial, given that adolescence is the key period for cognitive, social and emotional development. It’s a critical time for encouraging lifelong positive behaviours and attitudes, in a safe and trusted environment. Secondary students are increasingly exposed to gambling advertisements, and gambling-like features in video games and on social media platforms. Early education helps them to not only recognise these influences, but also develop the tools and knowledge needed to safeguard themselves and others around them. Research shows that school-based interventions can effectively reduce gambling-related harms by increasing awareness and correcting misconceptions, thus preventing the escalation of unhealthy gambling behaviours into adulthood (see tiny.cc/ts144-G1 ). Young people are highly influenced by their peers. Using an informed approach, teachers can foster a supportive classroom environment in which healthy relationships and behaviours are both encouraged and affirmed by those around them. This can also equip young people with effective coping strategies and decision-making skills in complex social situations, thus helping themmanage stress and avoid turning to gambling as a form of escape. Social media and influencers According to the Gambling Commission’s ‘2024 Young People and Gambling Report’ (see tiny.cc/ts144-G2 ), 53% of young people aged 11 to 17 reported seeing gambling advertising online, primarily via social media platforms, where gambling messaging and influencer endorsements have been widespread. Some of the biggest streamers and influencers in the world –most of them hugely popular with young people – have landed major sponsorship deals with gambling operators. These influencers are often handed ‘house money’ to gamble with live on stream, before thousands of young viewers, and sometimes lose eye-watering sums in a single session. These kinds of sponsorships remove the actual risk associated with online gambling, which, combined with the perceived wealth surrounding these individuals, results in gambling being glamourised for young audiences. Young people will mostly be engaging with this kind of content at home, but teachers can still create an environment in school where it’s safe for students to talk openly about their experiences online. So what might a school-based early intervention for gambling harms look like in practice? Raising awareness By integrating gambling education into PSHE lessons, teachers can help students understand the risks associated with gambling, including addiction, debt and impacts onmental health. Developing critical thinking: Lessons that explore probability, randomness and the concept of ‘chasing losses’ will equip students with the knowledge to understand the risks and 73 teachwire.net/secondary B E H AV I O U R