Who shoplifts? That is really a rhetorical question. It doesn't have a specific answer. The shoplifter is profile-proof. There are certainly career criminals out there, those who are simply seeking a cheap thrill (literally), and those that just decide at the last minute that they want to get something for nothing. Women shoplift. Men shoplift. Children and adults alike, rich people, poor people, nobodies and public figures are all guilty of shoplifting.
A common thread of shoplifting, however, is that it rarely has anything to do with whether or not a person can afford to pay for the merchandise. The stereotype is, of course, the daring, adrenaline junkie teenager. But more often than not the shoplifter suffers from underlying psychological stresses that they are trying to mask or alleviate. Almost invariably, if you ask someone why they did it, "i don't know" will likely be the response you get.
It can become an addiction as strong as any other vice. Shoplifters know right from wrong. But when depression, anxiety, fears, and other stresses become overwhelming, the act of shoplifting takes their mind off of those problems, and the rush achieved from a successful "take" can be like a drug. What they do not acknowledge or admit to themselves, however, is that it only makes those negative and painful feelings worse. According the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, about a third of the people involved in psychological studies conducted on shoplifters suffer from some form of depression.
Who shoplifts? That is really a rhetorical question. It doesn't have a specific answer. The shoplifter is profile-proof. There are certainly career criminals out there, those who are simply seeking a cheap thrill (literally), and those that just decide at the last minute that they want to get something for nothing. Women shoplift. Men shoplift. Children and adults alike, rich people, poor people, nobodies and public figures are all guilty of shoplifting.
A common thread of shoplifting, however, is that it rarely has anything to do with whether or not a person can afford to pay for the merchandise. The stereotype is, of course, the daring, adrenaline junkie teenager. But more often than not the shoplifter suffers from underlying psychological stresses that they are trying to mask or alleviate. Almost invariably, if you ask someone why they did it, "i don't know" will likely be the response you get.
It can become an addiction as strong as any other vice. Shoplifters know right from wrong. But when depression, anxiety, fears, and other stresses become overwhelming, the act of shoplifting takes their mind off of those problems, and the rush achieved from a successful "take" can be like a drug. What they do not acknowledge or admit to themselves, however, is that it only makes those negative and painful feelings worse. According the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, about a third of the people involved in psychological studies conducted on shoplifters suffer from some form of depression.