Shoplifting: What Kids Actually Know & How You Can Help

Honesty is taught by dishonesty.

My kids are both toddlers, quickly identifying new ways to push the limits - of their bodies, minds, toys, and even me. This behavior often causes things to break (or in the way of parents, breakdown). Most recently my kids have taken to blaming their stuffed animals when, as a result of pushing the limit, something breaks.

This concept (dishonesty in the form of the blame-game) is intriguing to me as both a parent and a professional who has dedicated much of my career to the problem of dishonesty. There are so many different, and appropriate, reactions to this lie. My approach is two-fold: (1) coach the stuffed animal (in front of my kid) on how to avoid breaking things in the future, and (2) talk about honesty as a group.

My kids are appropriately learning about honesty in the form of dishonest acts.

As I turn to the world of retail crime, specifically juvenile shoplifting, I'm more and more inclined to believe that most juvenile offenders understand that the act is dishonest. Like my kids, they learned about honesty very young. I write this article because I am unclear that they really understand the impact to the retailer & consumers, their family & loved ones, and to themselves prior to committing the crime.

A shared goal amongst the Loss Prevention community is to make honest individuals out of consumers (and our toddlers). Right now, in addition to potentially contacting PD, we pursue Civil Demand. The results of that demand are, in fact, helping the retailer to recoup costs associated with preventing product loss; and, there is no argument here that this is VERY important.

But, I am challenged to believe that we are doing anything to prevent this juvenile from continued dishonesty. The suffering here is typically of the family & loved ones, as (let's be clear) they are responsible for the torts of their minors. Hopefully there is a trickle down that leads to coaching and discussion, but we cannot guarantee that.

A couple years back I met a manager who worked for a Fortune 100 company. She was raising 5+ kids and working full-time. This lady was well put together! During a discussion about Civil Demand she quietly informed me that one of her children had recently been caught shoplifting in one of her stores. She was embarrassed and upset, but ultimately was eager to use this experience as a coaching lesson with her pre-teen kid.

As a parent of toddlers, I am positive that you cannot ultimately control the decisions of your children (even as pre-teenagers). This young adult was going to learn the tough lesson of honesty through dishonesty.

I challenge parents, guardians, teachers, and media to create methods that both inform and coach about this widespread problem. I firmly believe that coaching and discussions help create deeper understanding of the repercussions of dishonesty.

Do your part and inform your kids today!