Spreading of gambling games among the secondary school students in the municipalities of Zenica and Kakanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

AIM

To analyze the problem of gambling games distribution among the students.

METHODS

The research was done on a sample of 2370 students of secondary schools in the municipalities of Zenica and Kakanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The survey research method and theoretical and comparative methods were applied. Sociodemographic data were analyzed, information about parents' knowledge of involvement of their children in gambling games and their approval, whether the students were informed at school about the dangers of gambling games, religiousness of students and their awareness of the phenomenon of gambling games addiction.

RESULTS

From the total of 2370 examinees, 164 (6.9%) declared that they often played games of chance, 839 (35.4%) played them occasionally and 1367 (57.7%) never played any games of chance. Betting is the game that most students played, 693 (29.2%). The students declared that their friends played some of the games of chance in 932 (39.3%) cases; 1014 (42.8%) students' parents disapproved playing the games of chance. The biggest number of the students, 1143 (48.2%) declared that there was no discussion at school about the danger of playing games of chance.

CONCLUSION

Gambling games are widely spread among the secondary school students. The problem is largely induced by the social environment, family and school.