It is normal for a very young child to take something which excites his or her interest. This should not be regarded as stealing until the youngster is old enough, usually three to five years old, to understand that taking something which belongs to another person is wrong.
Younger kids may steal because they simply want something and they don't have the self-control to stop themselves. It may be out of envy, revenge, or just a strong desire for an item. Or maybe they just don't know any better. As kids get older, they may steal out of envy, revenge, or desire too.
Kids might be angry or want attention. Their behavior may reflect stress at home, school, or with friends. Some may steal as a cry for help because of emotional or physical abuse they're enduring.
Provide Consequences
Aim to connect the consequence to what they stole, and ideally, they should be aware of what will happen if they steal before the behavior occurs. For example, a child who constantly takes their siblings' favorite toys without permission may benefit from having to loan their toys to a sibling.
Children who steal are often those who have not learned the difference between what is a “need” and what is a “want”. They have learned that they must obtain everything that they want and need by force, manipulation and deception, that nothing will be freely and willingly given.
ADHD. A third underlying issue that can cause children to lie and steal is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with ADHD may lie or steal impulsively without thinking about the consequences. They may have difficulty focusing and paying attention and struggle to control their behaviour.
Theft in school-age children is caused mainly by a lack of impulse control, which is very common in this age group. Kids steal because they just don't think about the consequences of their actions. Incorporate household rules into your family life to help teach your school-age child that stealing is wrong.
It is normal for a very young child to take something which excites his or her interest. This should not be regarded as stealing until the youngster is old enough, usually three to five years old, to understand that taking something which belongs to another person is wrong.
Learned Behavior
Children may have been taught to steal either directly or by the example of parents or other significant adults. They may continue this behavior because they think it pleases those for whom they are stealing or because they do not know any other way of meeting their own needs.
Overview. Kleptomania (klep-toe-MAY-nee-uh) is a mental health disorder that involves repeatedly being unable to resist urges to steal items that you generally don't really need. Often the items stolen have little value and you could afford to buy them.
Of the 11 patients diagnosed with ADHD and ASD with abuse history, 8 (72.7%) started stealing when in elementary school (>12 years old), and 8 (72.7%) stole something outside of the home. Only 2 (18.2%) of these 11 patients had refused to attend school. These patients might express their heartache by stealing.
Stealing is not entirely impulsive, however. "Five- and 6-year-olds are outgrowing the belief that adults can read their mind, and they're exploring the idea that there are secrets they can keep to themselves," says developmental psychologist Gil Noam, Ed. D., a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
The overall prevalence of stealing was 15.2% (95%CI: 14.8–17.0). Twenty-nine students (0.72% of the entire sample, 4.6% of those who steal) endorsed stealing symptoms consistent with a DSM-IV diagnosis of kleptomania. Males were more likely to have reported stealing than were girls.
In a 2018 study, 188 multidisciplinary teachers in a Russian preschool observed 160 common childhood manipulations among kids ages 3-7. Some older children even picked “easy” marks to manipulate. These kids weren't necessarily manipulating out of cruelty, however, but because they saw it worked to fill their needs.
But is it, well, normal? As it turns out, yes. About a third of preschoolers get really into one particular thing, developmental experts say. (The obsessions can be pretty quirky, too—one study from the University of Virginia found a kid who was deeply into blenders; another was fascinated by American presidents.)
There are many things that can cause a child to have temper tantrums, emotional outbursts, and general “bad” or unexpected behavior. These can include biological reasons, like being hungry or overtired. It can include communication issues related to learning challenges.
The habitual thief may appear to suffer from a compulsion (“kleptomania”). He may be seen as resorting to stealing as a way to “feel better” while coping with depression or adverse circumstances over which he has no control. Perhaps a person steals to boost his self-esteem.
After facing neglect or trauma, a child may steal to gain a sense of control over their surroundings.
If you catch your child developing this habit, it is better to not accuse him and teach him politely why it is wrong. Kleptomania, also known as compulsive stealing, is basically an urge or desire to steal. Usually items stolen are less valuable, but if not stopped it might become a habit as kids grow up.
The most common forms of therapy for stealing include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Psychodynamic treatment, and Group therapy/12-step programs. CBT helps people change their thinking in order to change their feelings and behaviors.
If you are found guilty of a theft crime, the conviction could result in many consequences, including fines, incarceration, probation, and a criminal record. Furthermore, a criminal record could have serious repercussions that affect the rest of your life.
Let's recap. There's no evidence to suggest that people living with ADHD lie more often than those who don't have the condition. But there are many situations in which someone with ADHD might lie as a coping mechanism, to cover up an impulsive behavior that wasn't thought through, or without even realizing it.
Kleptomania is a mental health condition where a person feels an uncontrollable urge to steal things. People who have this condition might try, unsuccessfully, to not act on the urge, and many feel remorse or guilt for stealing. Experts classify kleptomania as an impulse control disorder.