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Stealing Among Students: Causes And Remedies
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Despite the early age at onset of stealing, as well as the significant
adult morbidity associated with this behavior, stealing among
adolescents has historically received relatively little attention from
clinicians and researchers. Limited research suggests that adolescents
who steal have impairments in problem-solving skills and a cognitive
bias toward inappropriate solutions to problems.3 Other research
suggests that parent-child difficulties, school failure, and negative
peer influences underlie adolescent stealing.4
Although stealing may
be fairly common, it is unclear how many adolescents who steal have
kleptomania. Kleptomania, characterized by a diminished ability to
resist recurrent impulses to steal objects that are not needed for their
monetary or personal use, has been relatively understudied across the
lifespan and particularly in adolescents with propensities for
stealing.5 In the present study, we assessed a large sample of public
high school students regarding stealing behavior. Although previous
research suggests that stealing and antisocial behaviors are linked,1,6
no study has systematically examined the relationship of stealing with a
range of behaviors and health functioning. Given the incomplete data on
the co-occurrence of stealing and other variables among young people,
the purpose of this study was to fill these gaps in knowledge.
Specifically, we sought to examine the prevalence and sociodemographic
correlates of different severity levels of stealing in adolescents, to
investigate health correlates in high school students who steal, and to
examine the different severity levels and clinical characteristics of
stealing and determine differences in students whose stealing merits a
diagnosis of kleptomania. Recognizing possible differences in stealing
severity among adolescents may have clinical and health implications. It
is also important to recognize associations between stealing and health
variables, as identifying and treating the stealing behavior may
significantly improve the prognosis of other behaviors.
Methods
Study Procedures and Sampling
The
study procedure has been published in detail.7 In summary, the study
team mailed invitation letters to all public four-year and nonvocational
or special education high schools in the state of Connecticut. These
letters were followed by phone calls to all principals of schools
receiving a letter to assess the school’s interest in participating in
the survey. To encourage participation, we offered all schools a report
after data collection that outlined the prevalence of stealing and other
health-related behaviors in that school. Schools that expressed an
interest were contacted to begin the process of obtaining permission
from school boards and/or school system superintendents, if approval was
needed.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]Although stealing among adolescents appears to be fairly common, an assessment of adolescent stealing and its relationship to other behaviors and health problems is incompletely understood. A large sample of high school students (n = 3,999) was examined by self-report survey with 153 questions concerning demographic characteristics, stealing behaviors, other health behaviors including substance use, and functioning variables, such as grades and violent behavior. The overall prevalence of stealin ... Continue reading---
