13-year-old Tony's mother discovered accidentally that her son was playing poker online. She had no idea where he was getting the money for this activity. When she confronted him, first he denied gambling; then he changed his story and said he had saved some money from doing some chores for neighbors and then used his winnings to keep playing. After punishing him by taking away his allowance for two weeks, Tony's mother went online herself to learn more about teenage gambling and what parents should do. She found lots of suggestions and decided to run them by her therapist, since she didn't think she could get Tony to go to therapy. Which of the following would the therapist have advised her not to do?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Tony's mother's psychologist would probably tell her that of the four suggestions, lecturing him about the evils of gambling would be the least effective. Tony probably knows enough to give a lecture himself, and stressing the risks and dangers might only make the activity more enticing. The emphasis instead should be on encouraging him to develop other more healthy interests to occupy his time.

13-Year-Old Tony's Mother Discovered Accidentally That Her Son Was Playing