When kids start stealing

Oh man. I was a problem child. I started stealing when I was about 9 years old. Hardcore. Not from friends or family, but from stores like WalMart, Target, Best Buy, anywhere that I went. Sometimes there can be psychological issues behind it (where counseling might be a good idea), but for me - it was just fun and exciting. And gave me something to do. It might have also been because both of my parents were broke, and I had no concept of money or the economy or BUYING things. I would steal ANYTHING, even silly things like dolls, trading cards, candy, soda, clothes, whatever. I was surprised that my parents never really noticed (until much later). Anyway, it took me 3 years but I finally got caught at Target one day, when I was stealing CDs. It was the most shameful day of my life (well, one of them! lol). I remember them pulling me into the loss prevention office, a cop being there, and Target's security people asking WHY - and even worse, who they could call to pick me up. Listening to them call my mom was the most painful thing in the world; I was so embarrassed and humiliated by it. I couldn't look either my dad or my mom in the eye for about three weeks after that. I ended up having to go to a "class" with my dad, two times a week, for about a month. They were both so mad at me. Anyway, I didn't mean to go down memory lane but I have to say - ever since I was 12 - I have NOT stolen a single thing. I look down upon people who do, and feel bad for them, because they have no concept for real life and being part of society's consumers; people who make the economy go round. For me, the only thing that stopped me was getting caught in Target that one day. It changed my whole perspective on stealing and I never did it again after that whole humiliated day, and the months after that. It's not exactly a preventative thing, though, to wait until your child gets CAUGHT to stop him/her from stealing. But it's how it worked for me. The best I can say is discipline, like other people. Go harsh on him. Whatever it takes. Stealing IS wrong, for sure, but sometimes kids just don't understand it because to them, there really are no consequences. Of course, once you turn 18 (sometimes even before then), you run the risk of having shoplifting on your permanent record, having a good chunk of government fines to pay, community service, and all kinds of things..Which will pretty much prevent you from getting any entry-level (especially retail) job you apply for. Kids don't get all of the repercussions of their actions though (I guess that's what makes them kids..) but parents can punish their kids. For example, put him to work! Give him a gigantic list of chores (and ensure they actually get done) - cleaning the bathroom (ugh! that might've made me want to stop stealing as a kid.. lol), mowing the lawn, doing all the dishes and all of the family's laundry, and so on. Take away his priveledges. Don't let him use the computer (password protect it), take away his TV rights, take away his video games, anything. Find out what matters most to him and cut it off. And maybe it will make him see. Best wishes to you, though, as I understand it must be extremely frustrating to be in that position!

Scare them. Punish them. Whatever it takes. Once I caught a boy shoplifting and took him to his mom who was nowhere near him. She said, "What did he do now?" and I said, "He was stealing water balloons and sticking them in his pocket. She said, "Oh." and that was all. She didn't fuss at him at all! TO make matters worse she BOUGHT HIM TOYS as she left. She was not only NOT punishing him for it, she was REWARDING him for it. If my son was caught stealing I would have him taken to the manager of the store and I would tell the manager to hold him in the office and give him a good talking to and say he ought to call the police but would let it slide this time. I would make him pay for whatever he tried to steal, but not let him actually HAVE the item, I'd make him give it to someone else or donate it to charity. Then he would be punished again at home by a routine 'taking everything away' type of grounding. If he did it again I would have the store manager call a police officer to give him a stern talking to, but not have charges pressed if possible, then repeat the rest of the steps above. Third strike I might actually have him arrested.

After reading the other posts and your responses it seems that the only thing that you can do with him is to call in the police the next time that he does it because it seems that you are continually telling him that something bad will happen to him if he carries on stealing, but then nothing does so he just carries on. It way past time for you to come down on him hard.

I think many kids do this in infant stage.what we have to do is to talk to him seriously.most of the parents just laugh when they view this and then scold the child this will make the child to think that it is a sort of game.so next time you found him to be stealing don't laugh just scold him seriously and tell him that it is a very bad habit and people may beat him for that kind of habit.this will help the chi;d to know the seriousness of the matter.In any means you have to distract him from such hobbies because it is very dangerous when he was on a mall on another persons house.Good luck

It is a huge problem because if this habit is not stopped now your son could eventually end up in jail when he reaches adulthood and it sounds like you may have exhausted all the different means of disciplining him. Have you considered having a Policeman talk to him? I wonder if you approached your local Police Station and explained the issue whether one of the officers would be prepared to have a little chat with your boy just to scare him a little. Another alternative is to take him to visit a real jail that may well open his eyes to what happens to people who are caught stealing!

I guess when they hear about late in life, it doesn't stick. It is best to teach kids values you like them to practice from the day they were born. I think the teaching of values can be incorporated in the stories that you tell them ever since and then when they're old enough, there is no need for you to be warning them and telling them that certain actions are bad, etc. Teaching values through stories can be one of the most effective ways of making these values stick.

I would suggest dont scare them and punish them, you better guide them in a good manner of just make them understand what the people think about when they come to know about your stealing and how it affects about life try to give some examples which children's feel themselves they are doing wrong things , scaring them and scolding them will affect a lot , than they will feel scared to face world when the whole family is wrong and the child grown has to face the world. I would say love and care can change anybody s life not the scolding nor scaring, scaring makes him find different ways to do the things the person who steals at home on scaring may start stealing at some other place outside where the person who scare doesn't knows about it.

The best way when he steals from a store is to take him right back and make it give the item back to the owner and take his lumps, such as having to clean the store's toilets or whatever punishment the store owner has. also make sure that he pays for the item. Knowing that the theft cost him something will stop him. If he steals something from you or a family member, or someone else, apply the same rule. He has to give it back and yet still pay for it.

the best thing to do in order to teach your child is let him experience what he is doing so that he will felt that it is wrong to steal....you can demonstrate it by getting his own stuff and keeping it...and ask him what he would felt if someone stole his favorite stuff..

Unless you know someone who works in a prison who can take your son on a tour and meet the prisoners there who can scar him, and explain to him that stealing is the first criminal activity that ended them there in jail, then you may have to make him see a counselor or a psycholigist to find out his obsession with stealing. They may label him as a cleptomaniac but if this is what it takes to keep him out of jail, then it's all worth it.

Oh man....this is 1 thing most of the children do...and i was part of this group to....until i started earning a little. I stole m onmoney from my parents, i did it whenever i needed money to go somewhere or to watch a movies or just to have fun, and the main cause for that was because my parents always wanted to know what i was going to do and why i needed so much money. They are always suspicious of me!

Wow. You see where i live. If a parent has a child like that it would only mean to do one thing and only one thing. No matter the age as long as the person is a child (under 18) then they are going to get this one thing that will fix this outrageous behavior...............Some heavy spanking. We people where we live do not tolerate such behavior and it might result sometimes that the police get call on the parent rather than the child because those beatings will be so hot. You know i am a child and not a parent, I'm just telling you the facts about what happen. So thats why I will stick to being good because I'm sure i will not want to get a hit out of that belt.

Hey i think when kids starts getting something that they dont own at all then thats something serious already. I think as parents you should start telling your kid the importance of respecting someone elses property and that if they want something like food or toy or anything that they want from others we should explain to them that they should try to at least get the permission of the other party to borrow or to at least as for some food if its food .Taking without permission is a very bad thing to do. And if we just let kids do this they might get this attitude until they are all grown up already. Thats why as soon as we can we should try to make them realize the good things that asking permission or asking for something instead of stealing it.

usually a child at eleven would steal because he feels unwanted or not enoughenough attention is payed to him.other reasons are that the kid does not understand that things cost money and you can't take things without asking.it could also be due to a lack of self control.I will advise not to worry to much about this once you speak to them nicely and remind them that stealing is wrong your kid should grow out of it unless there are other issues in the household such as a rough divorce if this is true you might want to take your kid to a shrink no to allow any long term emotional scarringand also to help stop the stealing problem