We are thrilled to announce that Year 10 students from Balgowlah Boys High School recently joined The Burdekin Association’s B A GameChanger Peer Education Program focused on gaming and gambling.
Our comprehensive full-day training workshop provided students with crucial insights into the normalisation of gambling among young people, particularly those under 18. They learned to navigate the challenging pathways to responsible gaming and gambling.
The workshop highlighted the potential harm of gaming dependency and demonstrated strategies for balancing gaming with a healthy lifestyle. Students were equipped with knowledge about risk and protective factors, and fostering resilience to cope with life’s stresses.
This initiative, part of the Dee Why Project and funded by the Office of Responsible Gambling NSW, aims to develop a comprehensive gambling, gaming, education, and prevention awareness program for the Northern Beaches community.
This program has given The Burdekin Association a valuable opportunity to address the concerning issues of gambling and gaming, making a positive difference for a wide range of participants. We are committed to creating a safer and more informed community for all young people.
Peer Education Program workshop
The Year 10 students explored the social pressures young people face around gambling and micro transactions in gaming, like loot boxes. Loot boxes are common in best-selling video games and are of growing concern. They are mystery bundles of virtual items and can be won by a gamer as a reward or can be purchased with real money. They have attracted controversy, as they can expose young people to gambling through the randomised ‘lucky dip’ chance involved in what the user will receive in their loot box. Loot boxes differ from other in-app or in-game purchases because the contents of the loot box are unknown before they are purchased.
Chris Davidson, a Gambling Counsellor with over 20 years’ experience at GambleAware gave an interactive presentation to the Year 10 students, discussed how the brain’s wiring works and how gambling and gaming engage the emotional and reactive parts of the brain, causing a compulsive behaviour pattern to emerge.
During the workshop, the young people climbed a 13-metre solitary pole and stepped out into the open air for a fast three-second drop to the ground. The drop pole experience demonstrated an instant hit of dopamine and adrenaline, the same experience that young people undergo when gaming or gambling. It also gave the participants the opportunity to understand what’s involved in calculated risk taking. This experience coincided with an interactive brainstorm activity to gain a further understanding of the importance of building resilience to protect from stressors in their lives.
Behaviours associated with gambling and gaming:
During the workshop, the Year 10 students identified how gambling and gaming addiction can affect young people’s behaviours, including:
- Development of impulsive behaviour
- Loss of money
- Gambling as a normalised activity, as gaming and gambling are portrayed as a young person’s ‘culture’ or ‘lad culture’
- ‘Winning is easy’ type behaviour
Risk factors associated with gambling and gaming:
Some of the identified risk factors associated with gambling and gaming addiction discovered during the workshop, includes:
- Poor nutrition / diet
- Lack of sleep
- Perfectionism
- Low mood / energy
- Procrastination
- Boredom
- Experimentation with drugs
- Alcohol consumption
- Toxic relationships
- Over-spending
- Gambling
- Having cash available
The Benefits of Peer Education
Peer educators are an incredible and influential source of information, and they can empower other young people to become positively involved and learn. Young people often identify with each other and through the Peer Education Program can utilise an already established supportive network, to learn more about other services in the community. Fundamentally, peer educators are role models and can support their peers to make better informed decisions.
Identifying Risk and Protective Factors, to help make informed choices
During the workshop, Year 10 students were introduced to ‘Protective Factors’—essential strategies for staying safe and making smart choices regarding gaming and gambling. Think of these protective factors as a team of bodyguards, enhancing the students’ defences against risky behaviours. The more protective factors they possess, the stronger their ability to resist harmful influences.
In the workshop, peer educators provided valuable insights into:
- Calculated risks – understanding the balance between risk and reward.
- Learning from mistakes – emphasising the importance of reflection and growth.
- Problem solving – developing strategies to navigate challenges.
- Risk management – weighing options to make the safest, best-informed decisions.
By drawing parallels between outdoor activities and gambling, students gained a deeper understanding of risk-taking behaviours. This analogy underscores the importance of making informed decisions in all aspects of life.
Through this engaging and educational approach, The Year 10 participants learned how to build resilience and make choices that are right for them, ensuring they are better prepared to handle the complexities of gaming and gambling.
Protective Factors
Peer Educators were able to work through protective factors and how they could apply them to their everyday lives they identified:
- School/work – time management skills, developing effective time management can help them prioritise tasks, allocate time for study and reduce the last minute rush, lowering stress levels.
- Setting realistic goals.
- Establishing boundaries – setting healthy boundaries can prevent conflicts and misunderstandings.
- Building a supportive network.
- Regular exercise, and healthy eating and sleeping habits
- Practising self-care – prioritising activities, including activities that bring fun and fill their energy levels and improve their mental wellbeing.
- Online social connections – online gaming communities can serve as sources of support, and friendship, which can mitigate feelings of loneliness and provide emotional support.
Building Resilience
Another of the Peer Education Project aims is to increase the resilience of participating young people, helping them to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change and thrive in adversity. For the young people involved in the program, it’s about maintaining a positive mindset, managing their stress and leveraging strengths and resources to overcome challenges.
To find out further information on gaming and gambling click here.
And, to see a related blog post on The Burdekin Association’s Peer Education Programs, click here.
