Basically, if state and local governments take measures to alleviate economic inequality by providing job training, welfare benefits, as well as ground-level efforts to improve communities by providing access to after-school programs and such, rates of theft decline substantially. Why is the Problem Occurring? Stealing has not only legal consequences, but also social and personal consequences. The main point to emphasize is that the relationship between unemployment and theft is far more nuanced than previously believed.

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 34, 134–148. (2006).

Joyriding, or the temporary taking of a vehicle, is not included in the category of motor vehicle theft. Erik is 22, he does it because he says he is feeding an addiction. Essay sample, Who contributes more to modern society: teachers or doctors? There's no typical shoplifter — people who steal from stores can be any age, race, gender, and social and economic background. The relationship between economic hardship and crime: The case of Israel and the Palestinians. ), The challenge of social control: Citizenship and institution building in modern society (pp.

With respect to commercial theft, research has found that it is typically clustered in areas with a large number of liquor licenses— namely, convenience stores, restaurants, and bars— indicating that land use is another important variable in structuring theft outcomes (Smith et al., 2006). Reisig, M. D., & Cancino, J. M. (2004). Coupe, T., & Blake, L. (2006). The exception to this pattern is for motor vehicle theft, which has been historically dominated by adolescent males. Local or regional culture can play a role as well (Herzog, 2005; Painter & Farrington, 1998). Most people wonder why people commit crimes like shoplifting. In the United States, there are state and local laws against a variety of theft categories and another level of codes at the federal level. The relationship appears to vary by age, but research is mixed as to the precise nature of the relationship. From there, the discussion moves to the major schools of thought regarding why theft and shoplifting take place and what society can do to address the problem. American Sociological Review, 50, 317–332. Shoplifting When someone steals merchandise offered for sale in a retail store it is generically called shoplifting. A recent study (Rosenfeld & Fernango, 2007) found that consumer confidence and optimism had significant effects on theft rates that were largely independent of objective indicators such as unemployment and economic growth. Criminal victimization on a Caribbean island. The selection of theft targets is also conditioned by two additional factors related to accessibility: (1) proximity to the homes of the offenders and (2) proximity to the central business and entertainment districts (Bernasco & Nieuwbeerta, 2005; Bromley & Cochran, 2002). Special offer! A little further away from the store he shows me the pants that cost about $150 in he store, he shoplifted or as he says "scooped" two pairs. British Journal of Criminology, 41, 119–126. The FBI has a separate category of theft for stolen automobiles and other motor vehicles.

In fact, property arrestees were more likely than violent crime or drug arrestees to commit their crimes for money for drugs. Journal of Drug Issues, 15, 493–506.

Theft is also directly impacted by the nature of the capitalist economy and the market for certain items, as well as other, more subjective economic indicators such as consumer confidence.