An Exploration of Secondary Offenses Among Adolescents with Internet Gambling Addiction: A Grounded Theory Approach

This study aims to identify the secondary offenses experienced by adolescents with internet gambling addiction, along with their consequences, processes, and types. Guided by the research objective, purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques were employed to recruit participants aged 13 to 18 who demonstrated an elevated risk level for gambling addiction. The collected data were analyzed using the grounded theory methodology proposed by Strauss and Corbin (1990; 1998). The analysis yielded a total of 12 concepts and 30 subcategories within the lived experiences of secondary offenses among adolescents with internet gambling addiction. Axial coding, utilizing the paradigm model, revealed the relationships between these concepts. Selective coding culminated in the identification of the core category: ‘a vicious cycle of secondary offenses arising from gambling behavior and frustration’. Furthermore, based on the participants’ experiences, a typology was developed, delineating three distinct types. Based on these findings, the researchers discuss implications for intervention strategies aimed at addressing secondary offenses among adolescents with internet gambling addiction. Based on these findings, the researchers discussed implications for therapeutic settings, Gamblers Anonymous (GA) meetings, and interventions in school social work.