When the child starts stealing

Discussion in 'Parenting' started by Alexandoy, Apr 29, 2018.

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  1. Alexandoy

    Alexandoy Well-Known Member

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    In the olden days, I remember seeing the photos of those who were caught shop lifting that were pasted by the entrance of the supermarket. Most were teenagers that obviously they did that not really to steal but just for the fun of it. Parents should be aware of this tendency of teenagers to try shoplifting even if there are cctv cameras, it is the guts that matter especially when they know that they will not go to jail.
     
  2. littlewitch66

    littlewitch66 Active Member

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    My son started stealing when he was around 9 or 10. I thought it was just boyish behaviour and he would grow out of it. Unfortunately he never really did. He had an odd way of thinking and would justify what he did by saying that a person's insurance would cover the loss. He was punished by myself, cautioned by the police but nothing made any difference. He eventually went on to steal for his drug habit and landed himself in prison. He is 36 now and doesn't steal but I don't doubt that he would if he thought he could get away with it. Some people are just wired differently to the rest of us.
     
  3. Heatman

    Heatman Active Member

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    One advice I would offer to any parent is to never underestimate what a kid can do because they can be capable of doing anything especially when they are influenced by their peers groups living in the same neighborhood and school as well.

    When it's discovered that a child has started stealing, it's good to give such kid any form of punishment to show him or her the errors in what he/she has done. And also if it's a child that listens, take time and talk to him as a parent.
     
  4. Kieranlewix

    Kieranlewix Member

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    Stealing is just like any other vice, when unchecked, it grows and takes root. I think there are two types of thieves; those who steal because they want what is not theirs and those who steal because they want to prove they can't get caught. The former are jealous and dangerous people who would do anything to get what they cannot have. This vice embeds itself onto their character. The latter are just cheeky characters and can grow out of it. As a parent, it is your responsibility to identify what kind of thief your kid is, if he/she is that is. When you know the type, it is a little easier to come up with a way to deal with them.
     
  5. Kakashi2020

    Kakashi2020 Member

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    If a kid starts to lie in a very young age then it must be corrected immediately because lying would eventually lead to stealing and that could be a serious problem. In my opinion when a kid starts to tell lies, parents should talk to their kid seriously that if he lies again he would be punished and the punishment should always be defined by the parents so as to scare their kid. When a kid steals then it's the fault of the parents because it means the parents has a problem in disciplining their kid. There are also situations where the kid steals outside his home, it could be shoplifting things in shops or stealing food, this might be a case of necessity in which the kid is hungry and his parents doesn't have food on their table, this usually happens in poor communities. In cases like this the economic and locational situations are to blame but ultimately it's still the parents fault.
     
  6. iamawriter

    iamawriter Active Member

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    What I have noticed is that it is the drug addicts that steal even from their own parents. They are so desperate that they no longer have a guilt conscience. Nipping in the bud is the only solution. Parents need to keep a vigil on their kids at all times as it is the peer pressure that encourages them to take that route.
     
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  7. Heatman

    Heatman Active Member

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    Controlling drugs addicts isn't an easy task because they are prone to be violent when they are pressed and in need to take their regular drug dosage. In this situation, they are capable of anything and not just stealing. A drug addiction is whose lost his bearing would go to the extent of murder in order to have his way with drugs.
     
  8. littlewitch66

    littlewitch66 Active Member

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    It was never peer pressure with him. He had some really good friends too but he chose to run with the bad guys. I used to sleep with my purse under my pillow and even then he tried to remove it when I was sleeping. Having had a child like this I really feel that there are some people who are hell bent on taking this self destructive course. Before this happened to me I used to blame the parents but I honestly feel that we did everything we could have possibly done to try and keep him on the straight and narrow. When I asked him why he had become a drug addict he said that he found it exciting and he thought he could control them .. then one morning he woke up and they were controlling him.
     
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  9. iamawriter

    iamawriter Active Member

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    The fact that drug addicts are there in this world says a lot about how helpless one is when drugs take over making it difficult for users to fight them For alcoholics I am told there is something that can undue the damage caused - some kind of drink. It is time some such treatment is made available for drug addicts as well.
     
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  10. Nocturnal Writer

    Nocturnal Writer Active Member

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    I do agree that youngsters do steal or shoplift for fun or they want those things for to satisfy their curiosity. So sad, their parents or guardians have to claim them inside the detention cell for safekeeping. One thing of note and this is an isolated case, the kids parents themselves don't mind that misbehavior instead they even urge their kids to steal.
     
  11. littlewitch66

    littlewitch66 Active Member

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    There kind of is. My son takes a daily pill which cuts off the sensors that make heroin pleasurable so if he was to take it while he was on these pills it would have no effect. They also stop him going into withdrawal. However it is not a permanent solution and if he stopped taking them the cravings would return and he would be very ill. I think drug addicts and alcoholics are always recovering.
     
  12. Jason76

    Jason76 Active Member

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    My girlfriend used to steal tips off waiter's tables as a child. :p Anyway, laughter aside, is this only a child's problem? I mean, not just referring to shoplifting or burglary, but also cracked software (forum themes you didn't buy) and music downloads.
     
  13. harijobs

    harijobs Member

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    My brother used to steal toys and cute thing from our neighbour's homes when we go to play during the holidays. Later their kids will come complaining and my mother will be returning all those toys. Sometimes my brother will refuse to give back and they let him have those toys. Then I slowly started to tell him how bad it is to steal things and it is a bad habit so he just let that habit go away as he grew up. When we make them learn at the young age, less the problem there will be.
     
  14. tyche

    tyche Active Member

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    My classmates used to steal for fun during high school, they would actually shoplift and they would brag about it to us that they stole this and that, usually pens and make-up items or nail polish. Later on they got caught, but they still do it still. I think that even if they could very well afford to pay for those items, they still can't resist shoplifting because of the thrill they feel everytime they do it.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2018
  15. Jason76

    Jason76 Active Member

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    How about subtle stealing? For instance, some people take a little extra here and there and also perhaps do less work than required. Anyone run into that? Do you think the accusations are mostly true?
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2018
  16. Kieranlewix

    Kieranlewix Member

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    Though I have never actually shoplifted I also do have such friends. In my country, not many supermarkets have CCTV cameras. The malls do have them and security is tighter there. In normal every day supermarkets, there are attendants stationed at every isle, whose job is to shelve items appropriately and also observe shoppers to avoid stealing. This makes it easy for people to shoplift and all people have to do is distract the attendant. There are also no mall cops which makes it even easier for people to get away with it.
     
  17. Jason76

    Jason76 Active Member

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    I don't know how any kids shoplift for kicks nowadays! I mean, cameras are everywhere! In fact, a male cannot probably even urinate at the park anymore!
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2018
  18. mildredtabitha

    mildredtabitha Member

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    I think they should be punished or take responsibility for their action. Since when they steal they don't put themselves in owners shoes.so I think if they get caught after doing that and you have warned them severaly just let them go to jail maybe the can change from there.
     
  19. Alexandoy

    Alexandoy Well-Known Member

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    Going to jail is always avoided not only by parents but by counselors. As much as possible prevention is always preferred so those kids caught stealing should undergo an orientation on reformation. A psychologist said that petty stealing is not really a disease but a mistake by the person. That means a mistake can be forgiven but it should be corrected.
     

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