Why Do Children Steal? | Child Psychology

So of course if a child or adolescent steals parents are very worried. Their first inclination is, oh my goodness, my child's a juvenile delinquent. Of course this is rarely the case, but stealing of, is something that we do need to be concerned about. Young children are often intrigued by an object that they see in a store and they may take it. As children get older they do recognize that stealing is wrong. They may do it because there's something that they want that they can't have, or to be equal in the eyes of their peers. When parents recognize that their child has stolen something there are some key factors that they should remember. First of all the child should return the object. Two, there needs to be a discussion about the consequences of their negative actions. And three, the child should never benefit from the theft in any type of way. If parents recognize that stealing is something that is ongoing it could be the sign of a larger issue, such as an impulse control issue, or some type of anxiety. Consistent patterns of stealing in children should be evaluated by a clinical professional. These are just a few of the factors that are important when we're considering stealing in children.

[Simplicity]

Psychologically, a child may steal because they feel they lack something else, this is a way of showing this by the subconscious mind, which is why recurring stealing means a person needs to see a clinical psychologist

[scholliski]

I mean since a young age I’ve had kleptomania.... i never stole to ‘fit in‘ and I didn’t even need the things I stole, it was because of the rush I got while stealing, I’d always feel guilty afterwards but couldn’t stop.

[azaramoon]

When they steal from the parent, its particularly hurtful.

[InterventionsOnly]

Thank you for your amazing insight. You are amazingly adept at stating the obvious.

[georgepig]

Hello! Hello! Anybody here at 2020. Most comments are see are from 8 years ago and months ago and yeah and so on...

[akpl]

My wife is extremely cheap, and we have been married for 9 years, and now we decided to go for a baby, I am concerned about it, because my children could end up in a mental hospital with that level of cheapness, I am totally opposite of her, and there was a time we both stood in the middle ground, but I though she was cured of cheapness, but now her cheapness hormones kicked in and it is driving me crazy, what should I do!?

[musiclover]

I have neen stealing things like candy from my Mom and I can't seem to find a way to stop. I tried slowly stealling less and less per day but I steal more when I think about it. I am never hungry but I do it anyway. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to help myself stop this without help?

[caybara-burger]

It's sad because i just discover my 15 year niece took 1000 dollars from me she want tell the truth and my sister is making excuses for her so she want look bad im hurt and can't believe she will do this to me i just let them back in my life with over a year of not seeing them why would she do this.

[NarutoX]

"hey dad i just stole this iphone from our neighbor :D"

"father: idiot! you forgot the headphones."

----Fatherhood----

[bee]

Maybe because we live on the other side of the world where it's currently daytime?

[antoinetterodney]

My son empty my house AN sell even the furniture I made up my mind to abundant HIM AN take his name of the title

[almeraespinosa]

Plz mom help me 4 my kids no more money plz give me support no my work

[sporego]

why does she revert everything to going to a psychologist???


oh, and hugo was a thief,


and he was a bad ass clock making ma-CHINE!

[madzndean]

Because its morning time .... wakey wakey :)

[mystique]

Single parent here. I have a daughter who has a problem with boundaries. She logs into my banking App and uses it to buy herself data when she knows that it's not allowed. Or she will gain illegal access to my phone or wifi by noting down the password when she can. Its embarrassing to talk to her about but Im worried that she has issues with boundaries and it will affect her later on in life. How do I deal with this?

[gerrimiller]

My 15 yr. old daughter stole my bank card to purchase roblox games. I was shocked that this was happening. You do everything you can for the kids and this is what some of them do in return. This felt horrible to my heart.

[perryh.]

My daughter steals because she wants it...js