The loving wife had everything in the world to be thankful for: devoted husband, well mannered kids, nice-paying job, and a white-picket fence around the house. Only problem was she had a slight shoplifting problem. It was never much – maybe an eye-liner or a lipstick, every now and then a cheap pair of sunglasses. It all seemed so harmless — until she got caught.
Is the woman mentioned above real? Does it matter? Statistics show over 50% of apprehended adults were educated professionals and financially secure. So why shoplift? Is it cheap thrills? The excitement of knowingly breaking the law?
If you answered “yes” to both of those questions you wouldn’t be far off in solving this puzzle.
If you were to ask juveniles caught shoplifting why did they did it, most of them would probably reply “I don’t know”. Go figure that adults have even less of a response. Would you believe that according to Cleptomaniacs and Shoplifters Anonymous (www.kleptomaniacsanonymous.com),25% of shoplifters apprehended are juveniles, while 75% of those caught are adults? What’s more, most non-professional shoplifters don’t commit other types of crimes. For example, they’d never steal a DVD from your house and if you dropped your wallet, they’d probably return it to you with the money intact. The criminal activity of shoplifting adults is restricted to shoplifting.
Adults usually know the difference between right and wrong, but according to www.minddisorders.com, shoplifting is simply another maladaptive way of coping with stressful life circumstances. Even if for a fleeting moment, most of us have had the temptation to “get something for nothing.” The difference is that most people recognize this momentary temptation as “wrong” and don’t follow up on it. It’s the other segment of adults who accept the temptation and then cross over the line. Now, shoplifting is one thing and cleptomania is another and the distance between the two isn’t necessarily that long. The textbook definition is that cleptomania is a complex disorder characterized by repeated, failed attempts to stop stealing. The cause of cleptomania is unknown. The site www.kleptomaniacsanonymous.com points out that of seven identifiable types of shoplifters, the addictive-compulsive shoplifters makes up 75% of adults who shoplift.
The addictive-compulsive shoplifter emotionally has a lot of repressed anger and often exhibits signs of other compulsive addictions, such as overeating, shopping, drug use, or gambling. Typically, these individuals steal items that are often inexpensive, and then give them to others as gifts. If caught, they will show guilt, shame, or remorse. Often, they will breakdown and cry when caught and confronted.
The problem is that detection of shoplifting and cleptomania — even by significant others — is difficult and the disorder often proceeds undetected. There may be preferred objects and environments where theft occurs. According to the American Psychiatric Association (www.psych.org) there are at least five diagnostic criteria for kleptomania:
– Repeated theft of objects that are unnecessary for either personal use or monetary value.
– Increasing tension immediately before the theft.
– Pleasure or relief upon committing the theft.
– The theft is not motivated by anger or vengeance, and is not caused by a delusion or hallucination.
The American Psychiatric Association points out further that once the disorder is suspected and verified by an extensive psychological interview, therapy is normally directed towards impulse control, as well as any accompanying mental disorder(s). Counseling or therapy may be in a group or one-to-one setting. It is usually aimed at dealing with underlying psychological problems that may be contributing to cleptomania and may also include:
– Behavior modification therapy
– Family therapy
Relapse prevention strategies, with a clear understanding of specific triggers are typically stressed, And that’s what makes an organization like Shoplifters Anonymous so valuable.
Getting back to the fictitious individual at the beginning of this article, it’s safe to say that she probably represents a little bit of all of us — both male and female. The challenge — say experts — is getting adults who shoplift to recognize that they indeed stepped over the line, and then teaching them to fight the impulse of shoplifting when it arises.
Who’s to say it couldn’t happen to you or me?
