Gaming Addiction: Supporting Children at Risk

Sam Preston 4 min read
Gaming Addiction: Supporting Children at Risk feature image

The rise of online gambling among teenagers has drawn renewed attention to a related and rapidly growing concern, gaming addiction.

Whilst not all gaming behaviour is harmful, the lines between recreation, compulsion, and risk have blurred. Many of the same mechanics that drive teenage gambling, such as instant rewards, variable outcomes, peer competition, and microtransactions, now underpin modern gaming platforms.

For schools, this presents a complex safeguarding challenge: how to distinguish enthusiasm from dependency, and how to support young people before harm escalates.

The Growing Scale of Gaming Addiction

Data from the World Health Organization and the NHS Digital Health Survey reveals the growing scale of gaming addiction. The data highlights a steady increase in gaming-related dependency among young people.

Around 9% of UK adolescents now display symptoms consistent with ‘gaming disorder’, defined in the findings as ‘a pattern of gaming behaviour characterised by impaired control, priority given to gaming over other interests and activities, and continuation despite negative consequences.’ The Children’s Commissioner reporting has found that nearly one in three 11- to 16-year-olds report playing online games for four or more hours per day, often late into the night. The Gambling Commission’s Young People and Gambling Report adds that gaming and gambling behaviours increasingly overlap, particularly through loot boxes, skin betting, and pay-to-progress features.

What is clear from these findings is that gaming addiction is not a niche issue, but is a mainstream phenomenon. It is affecting concentration, sleep, relationships, and mental health.

So, why can gaming become addictive? The addictive pull of gaming is rooted in neurological reward systems. Games are designed to trigger dopamine release, the same neurotransmitter linked with pleasure, motivation, and risk-taking.

Features that may increase dependency include:

Variable rewards:
unpredictable outcomes (e.g. loot boxes, random bonuses) keep players hooked through ‘just one more try’ behaviour.
Social validation:
leaderboards, in-game chats, and live streams create pressure to perform and fear of missing out (FOMO).
Monetisation mechanics:
small micro-purchases (skins, coins, tokens) normalise spending and can mask real financial costs.
24/7 access:
mobile gaming and online multiplayer formats remove natural stopping cues.

For some children, gaming provides a social outlet and escape; for others, it becomes the only space they feel in control.

Warning Signs of Problematic Gaming

Schools are ideally placed to identify the effects of problematic gaming behaviour and the subtle signs of when it is turning from recreation to risk. Indicators may include:

  • Persistent tiredness or falling asleep in class.
  • Declining academic performance or missed homework.
  • Irritability or agitation when access to games is restricted.
  • Withdrawal from offline friendships and extracurricular activities.
  • Obsessive discussion of gaming achievements or virtual rewards.
  • Use of in-game purchases without parental consent or awareness.
  • Physical symptoms such as headaches, eyestrain, or repetitive strain injury.

Many of these indicators mirror those seen in gambling addiction, reinforcing that gaming harm is a safeguarding issue, not merely a behavioural one. It is important to realise that gaming addiction rarely exists in isolation. Studies from Oxford Internet Institute and Public Health England show strong correlations between compulsive gaming and:

  • Anxiety and depression, particularly in adolescents who use gaming to cope with social stress or low mood.
  • Sleep disruption, leading to poor concentration and irritability in school.
  • Social withdrawal and loss of real-world confidence.
  • Emotional dysregulation, especially when online losses or competition trigger anger or frustration.
  • For vulnerable young people, such as those with ADHD, autism, or existing mental health conditions, gaming can become a maladaptive coping mechanism, masking underlying distress.

Under the safeguarding and duty of care framework, schools must recognise gaming addiction as a form of potential harm. A proactive, whole-school approach should include:

Education and Awareness

  • Embed digital wellbeing and gaming awareness within the PSHE or life-skills curriculum.
  • Teach pupils how reward loops, loot boxes, and microtransactions manipulate behaviour.
  • Discuss healthy screen time and the impact of excessive gaming on sleep and concentration.
  • Encourage peer discussion to challenge myths and attitudes, such as ‘everyone plays all night’ or ‘it’s not real money.’

Early Identification

  • Include gaming behaviours in safeguarding risk assessments and staff training.
  • Train staff to recognise behavioural and emotional indicators of addiction.
  • Establish safe spaces (e.g., well-being drop-ins) where pupils can talk about online pressures without stigma.

Parental Engagement

  • Run workshops to help parents understand gaming platforms, in-game purchases, and privacy controls.
  • Provide guidance on setting boundaries: device-free evenings, age-appropriate time limits, and parental monitoring tools.
  • Signpost to reliable support resources such as YGAM (Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust), which offers free parental webinars and classroom materials, GamCare and Childline, who offer confidential advice for families affected by gambling or gaming harms.

Whole-School Culture

  • Promote balanced lifestyles: sport, creativity, outdoor learning, and in-person friendships.
  • Encourage pupils to self-regulate by logging screen time and reflecting on their digital habits.
  • Integrate gaming awareness into mental-health initiatives and attendance interventions.

Targeted Support

  • For pupils showing dependency, refer to school counsellors or local mental health services (e.g. CAMHS).
  • Ensure the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) includes gaming and gambling as a topic in annual safeguarding updates.
  • Liaise with external agencies for cases involving financial exploitation or criminal risk.

For many young people, games are a creative outlet, social network, and even a future career path. The safeguarding challenge is balance. When schools model curiosity rather than condemnation, pupils are more likely to speak up before harm deepens.

When PSHE lessons link gaming to real-life wellbeing, such as sleep, relationships and resilience, this enables students to begin to explore the connections. Digital literacy, like financial or emotional literacy, is a life skill. By teaching it early, schools can prevent short-term habits from becoming long-term harms.

The worlds of gaming and gambling are converging fast, fuelled by technology that rewards instant gratification and continuous play. For children, that convergence can blur the line between fun and addiction.

Schools are uniquely placed to notice early warning signs, guide healthy discussion, and work in partnership with parents.

Sam Preston

SSS Learning Safeguarding Director

18 November 2025