31Teenage Shoplifting Is teenage shoplifting becoming a part of our mo - PDF document

31Teenage Shoplifting Is teenage shoplifting becoming a part of our modern culture? Justine Cristini (editor note: this is a modified version of the original) : Monday December 15th, 2009 In our modern society shoplifting is expanding becoming part of the teenage culture due to the influence of the media. The ideal of 'Keeping up with the Jones's' is pushing teenagers into shoplifting in order to conform and feel accepted by their friends. This research project delves into the world of teenagers to find out whether shoplifting is becoming a part of their daily lives. The aim of this research was to find out whether there has been an increase in teenage shoplifting and if it is becoming a part of youth culture. A variety of sources and methodologies were used to try and prove or disprove that shoplifting is becoming a part of youth culture. The report that follows aims to educate and inform readers on the issue of teenage shoplifting and comment on it's affect in the community. Ten weeks of research resulted in the conclusion that teenage shoplifting is in fact on the increase and that there is a feeling of pressure for teenagers to shoplift items they Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the encouragement and support of my teachers Mrs Staunton and Mrs Parsons, especially in helping me get to some survey homeroom groups as well as proof reading work and making suggestions foteachers acted as a guide in assuring the successful completion of the project and helped as much as possible. My mother was supportive during the research of the project. She is acknowledged for assisting me with the editing and organisation of the project. The trust of the two people I interviewed is greatly appreciated as it was important that their anonymity be protected. The Police Officer was not in a position to respond “officially” so he asked not to be identified. I would like to express my appreciation for the students who responded to my survey questionnaire and my parents and friends for discussing my ideas and encouraging me. Introduction The topic for this research project is teenage shoplifting. The aim of this study is to effectively answer the question is teenage shoplifting becoming a part of our culture? The main reason for selecting this topic to research is due to the researcher’s disapproval with the behaviour and interest in finding out why others feel the need to This research topic relates to Community and Family Studies in a variety of ways particularly when looking at individuals and Some teenagers may steal because they suffer from poor economic wellbeing and cannot afford certain purchases. Socioeconomic status (SES)does not discriminate, shoplifting can occur within low, middle and high SES communities Social wellbeing Some teenagers may shoplift to feel Influences on availability of and access to Age - Shoplifting appears to be more younger people are more likely to engage in risky, thrill-seeking behaviours. Disability - Teenage shoplifting could be because of a disorder or disease such as kleptomaniacs, in this case shoplifting may not be able to be controlled. Education – a lack of education could impact the individual’s economic status and be the driving force behind the decision to shoplift. Gender- shoplifting is more predominant in female youth than males. Personal nature of values An individuals values and standards may deter them from shoplifting as they may feel it is wrong Data will be collected by distributing interviewing a police officer and an admitted shoplifter as well as collecting a number of articles on the topic and choosing the five most helpful to create a literature review. As shoplifting is a contemporary issue and is not frequently publicly discussed it will be difficult to find a variety of books and newspaper articles on it so the main source for data will be the Internet. It is expected that this research will show the number and frequency of teenage shoplifters and their motives behind shoplifting. The researcher predicts that data will show that teenage shoplifting has increased within the past decade and is considered a common activity that teenagers partake in due to pressure from peers and financial pressures. Methodologies The research methodologies that have been used are: Questionnaires - used to survey a variety of teenagers on the issue –used to see two contrasting individual opinions. Literature review – used to provide a A questionnaire is a primary source of data that involves creating a series of open and closed questions that can be distributed to a large number of people in order to find out their view or opinion on an issue. This methodology was conducted in order to gather an idea of the frequency of shoplifting within the local community and to begin to shape the opinion of teenagers on the issue. 30 Questionnaires were distributed through both cluster and random samples allowing me to maintain control of the age of respondents (Cluster -Teenagers). Each method was effective in the sense it allowed for both a range of ages to provide their opinion and personal experiences of shoplifting. An interview is a primary source of data that involves face-to-face open questions asked to a chosen respondent who has knowledge on a subject. Interviews were conducted with two contrasting characters – a shoplifter and a police officer. Their responses provided an in-depth personal opinion on how they see teenage shoplifting and a descriptive idea of its effect on society. The interview with the policeman was conducted to derive information on how a figure of the law views teenage shoplifting and what the consequences of shoplifting are. The second interview with a shoplifter was conducted in order to gather a second perspective on how shoplifters themselves perceive teenage shoplifting and their personal reasons for why they do it. These interviews helped with the overall research in the sense they allowed both parties to express an opinion removing from previously written articles, books and websites that have been published and are a critical account of key points from existing studies. This method was used as a means of finding information to explain why teenagers shoplift from the views of educated specialists and people who have researched 34Results - Secondary research - Literature Review Various data were sourced from the internet, an electronic source of data, and provided the researcher background knowledge and a greater understanding of the research topic. The reviews of this data provided informative results in regards to understanding the issue of shoplifting among teenagers. rise in child arrests' was printed by Messenger Community News (Adelaide) on the 25/11/08. This article recognises the impact shoplifting by teenagers has in the state of Adelaide. It explains that teenage shoplifting is on the rise with more and more teenagers being careless and getting caught. In Adelaide alone there has been a 50% increase in the arrest of children aged 10-14 and the Police believe that “The spike was mainly driven by a rise in youths caught shoplifting”. According to the article the arrests of girls aged 15 and 16 in the Adelaide district increased by nearly half “from 125 in 2006/07 to 186 in 2007/08” The consequences of this have meant greater security personnel have had to be employed with a more specific objective of catching commented on the rise in youth crime by saying “Obviously there's an acceptance among some of these kidssomething, they'll take it”. This highlighted how shoplifting has become a serious issue for youth in Australia and that it isn't just a “cool” impulsive on the spot decision but that some teens are actually planning when to A second article entitled Middle Class Girls Shoplifting was printed on an online forum on Sunday March 9th 2008 and written by Camilla Tominey. This article contributed gave specific examples and statistics of nature of teenage girls shoplifting. This article also explained the motives behind why that the main party responsible for teenage shoplifting is in fact teenagers from middle class backgrounds who can actually afford the items. The article states that many schoolgirls have taken to shoplifting in order to experience a “buzz” and for the fifth year in a row are leading boys in statistics ( 14,389 girls aged 12-20 in England Wales in 2006 compared to 11.542 boys). The article states that the most prolific in incidences of shoplifting are middle class girls aged 13 to 15 with the main motive being peer pressure and bullying by friends. The article also suggested that children in modern times are too spoilt relying on parents to buy them items they cannot afford and as a result regardless of whether their parents say yes or An article from the Crime prevention series: Shoplifter's motives is an Australian study from 1992, was helpful in comparing and contrasting how teenage shoplifting has progressed in terms of who is shoplifting but that the motives for why they do it has remained the same in recent years. This article showed that in the past decade shoplifting has dramatically increased among teenagers and that boys are no longer the predominant gender involved in shoplifting. The article was also provided a more in depth study of the reasons why people shoplift - accumulated stress, economic motives, character defects, the thrill and professional ovided details of an objective study on shoplifting in Canberra in 1992 that showed “Males were predominate among juvenile shoplifting” and the groups most prevalent for retail crime were those aged over 55 and under 25. The study suggested that shoplifting crime may have to do with the physiological frame of mind and economic status of these particular age groups - depression and stress being two major factors driving people to shoplift. The study compared older shoplifters to younger shoplifters showing economic disadvantage as the motive for 72% of adult shoplifters where as teenagers were often persuaded into shoplifting by dare or peer pressure i.e. “everyone is doing it”. “Sticky fingers: get the lowdown on the dangers of shoplifting” is an article by Leah Paulos uploaded to a weekly reader publication of Current Health on December the 1st 2006. This article provided a specific example of a shoplifter (who's name had been changed) and the psychological and physical consequences that can happen to teenagers when they shoplift. The article was valuable because it not only explained the negative impacts of shoplifting but also provided statistics and discussion questions at the end which assisted in the development of questions for the interviews conducted in this The article used the example of a 14 year old boy Matt to show how a shoplifter thinks i.e.“Really, I assumed I would get away with it” and then delves into the facts to back up the serious nature of shoplifting. According to this article $25 million worth of goods are stolen daily and most of this is from department or convenience stores. This article stated that ¼ of all shoplifters are teens and 86% of teenagers know people who shoplift. Data suggested that shoplifting is addictive and to some people it is like a game “After stealing something and getting away with it, people might become hooked”, this is similar to data from other articles that described shoplifting as a “buzz” or “high” feeling. The second shoplifting example showed that the shoplifter believed it was okay to steal from big corporations as they were “faceless” and ripping people off. The final data was sourced from the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention website which is primarily dedicated to maintaining the latest statistics and facts on shoplifting. It contained some facts about teenage shoplifting and was extremely useful in getting an accurate list of overall statistics on the issue. This secondary source provided useful statistics on the frequency and severity of shoplifting and aided in the development of questions that would be useful for primary research. This website provided specific data in regards to the most common locations for shoplifting, the age ranges that partake in shoplifting and how often people shoplift. It showed that 69% of shoplifters say they “steal in department stores”. 25% of shoplifters are juveniles, 57% of shoplifters say they steal monthly or more and shoplifters say they are caught “an average of once every 48 times” which is why the crime continues. 36Results - Primary research Graph 1 - Have you ever shoplifted before? 46% of those surveyed have shoplifted once or more in their lives and 40% have never tried to shoplift. Four people (or 13%) said that they had not tried to shoplift but have friends that have and 3% have thought about it or have but didn't want to. These results seem much shoplifted and teenager's that have never shoplifted are almost equal. 37 NeedsWantsRebellionFree itemsPowerThrillCan't controlFriends do itParents Don't do it 024681214 Motives for shoplifting Have no problemStrongly disapprovePeople's choiceAgree with it 02468121416 Opinion on Teenage Shoplifting Graph 2 – What are your motives for shoplifting? Graph 2 shows that the primary motives for teenagers to shoplift are because they want the items but can't afford them (40%), to get cool and expensive things for free (40%) and because it gives them a sense of power (40%). A large majority (26%) also said they shoplift for the thrill they receive from it, which is also evident in other studies done on shoplifting. Interestingly the results contradict the large belief that peer pressure is responsible for most shoplifting in teenagers with only 13% saying they did it because of influence of friends. Graph 3 – What is your opinion on teenagers who shoplift?This graph reveals that 50% of all the teenagers surveyed believe that it is the individuals own choice about whether they shoplift or not and most stated that “It's there future/ consequences”. Out of those surveyed 1/3 do not have a problem with shoplifting whilst 26% strongly disapprove of it. The results show that 0% of people actually agree with shoplifting despite not having any actual problem with it. 38 39 Strong disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrong Agree Graph 4 – Do you believe that shoplifting is more common among teenagers? The above pie chart reveals that 43% of teenagers do in fact believe that shoplifting is more common among people between the ages of 13-18 then adults above 18. An additional 33% agree that this is true and the remaining 24% have no opinion on the matter or believe that shoplifting is more prevalent in adults. 46% of those surveyed admitted to shoplifting once or more in their lives. All of those people who admitted to shoplifting were female which supports secondary statistics suggesting that girls were now the predominant figure in teenage shoplifting. Secondary data showed that teenage shoplifting is on the rise with more and more teenagers getting caught. In Adelaide alone there has been a 50% increase in the arrest of children aged 10-14. The article from the Crime prevention series showed data to support these results stating that in the past decade shoplifting has dramatically increased among teenagers and that boys are no longer Primary data about the frequency of shoplifting showed a rate of 46% of teenage shoplifting is done monthly or more frequently. This compares with American Statistics showing that 57% of retail store shop lifters admit to stealing monthly or more (www.associatedcontent.com/article/183545 /shopliftingstatisticstactics75 of.html While less than half those surveyed expressed disapproval about shoplifting, 66% agreed to feelings of guilt about shoplifting. Secondary data suggests that shoplifting is addictive and to some people it is like a game, and shoplifting was described as giving a person a “buzz” or “high” feeling. This was supported by primary data from the interview with a shoplifter who stated that it was ‘well as 26% of questionnaire respondents who stated they shoplift ‘’. 76% of respondents shared the view that there are more teenagers who shoplift than adults. 37% of respondents agreed that ‘tis pressure for teens to shoplift to keep up with friends’ and almost half of the sample group (40%) stated that the motive to shoplift to get cool and expensive items for free”. These results demonstrate thedisadvantage may have on a person’s decision to shoplift. This data is further supported by the study on shoplifting done in Canberra in 1992 that compared older shoplifters to younger shoplifters showing economic disadvantage as the motive for 72% of adult shoplifters where as teenagers were often persuaded into shoplifting by dare or peer pressure i.e. “everyone is doing it”. Both primary data from questionnaires and interviews as well as secondary research data clearly shows that shoplifting is common amongst teenagers and that the main reasons behind their decision to shoplift include peer pressure and risk taking. Conclusion In conclusion the research has shown that teenage shoplifting is very present in today's society. Many teenagers are partaking in risky behaviours due to boredom with every day norms and shoplifting appears to provide them with a ‘thrill’ or ‘high’ feeling. Shoplifting has also provided teenagers with a feeling of acceptance amongst their social networks, contributing to their social wellbeing. This research proves that shoplifting is becoming a part of teenage During the project there were a number of difficulties encountered. Because the topic is rather contemporary in terms of being publicly recognised and addressed it was difficult to find newspaper articles. Overall it was challenging to find truly useful articles on the topic and a lot more time would be needed to find helpful resources. Choosing a subject that has copious amounts of research on it or by dedicating more time to researching the subject prior to deciding on a research question would have overcome this problem. Accessing more secondary sources of data other than the Internet such as community centres and counselling services may have provided more in-depth secondary data. The interviews were done at the last minute and time limitations resulted in a lack of qualitative data. It is suggested that future research would allow for the interviews to be conducted early on and time be allocated for respondents to elaborate and extend on their ideas if necessary. The questionnaires were an issue as some people were not willing to fill them out and dishonest responses could have affected the reliability of the results. Many of the younger participants did not understand some of the questions and as a result didn't fill them out. The sensitivity of the topic of shoplifting may have also prevented participants from answering some of the questions. In the future I would remove any personal questions regarding shoplifting and ask questions in relation to people’s views on those who shoplift. Whilst I could not control how people chose to fill them out having a statement about confidentiality in the introduction of my questionnaires may have made people feel more secure. Another issue was time management as there was a lot of procrastination in the first weeks of the project and not all class lessons were used efficiently, this led to having to rush the analysis and conclusion of my research. In the future I will closely follow my time plan and make sure all lessons designated to the project are used effectively. www.aic.gov.au/publications/crimprev/motives -accessed 5/10/08 www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=93793 -accessed 5/0/08 www.nytimes.com/gast/fullpage.html – accessed 5/10/08 www.lcmedia.com/mind455.htm -accessed 5/10/08 www.shopliftingprevention.org/whatnaspoffers/nrc/psychologicalStudies.htm accessed 25/10/08www.bureauofstatistics.org – accessed 3/10/08http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/brothers/374617_joyce813.html -accessed23/10/08www.untwist-your-thinking.com -accessed 19/11/08 www.sunherald.com.au/apps/index.ac -accessed 10/11/08 www.messenger-news.whereilive.com.au -accessed 26/11/08 www.cyc-net.org/today011016.html -accessed 19/11/08 www.hero.ac.uk/ukbusiness/artchives/2002/tricks_of_the_shoplifter_1378.cfm accessed 23/11/08 www.troubledteen101.com/articles20.html -accessed 23/10/08 www.telegraph.co.uk/education/3355946/Teenage-shoplifting-A-lesson-I-hope-she- – accessed 29/10/08www.theftcenter.org/newsmagazine.htm – accessed 26/10/08www.popcenter.org/problems/shoplifting/PDFs/fcpu11.pdf – accessed 9/11/08 www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-155402091.html -accessed 26/11/08 INTERVIEW WITH A TEENAGE SHOPLIFTER 1.You have admitted to shoplifting. Please describe the nature of this: e.g. Where did it I first started at a very young age maybe around 5, I took a lip balm but it wasn't until I went to Melbourne a few years ago that my cousin taugdoing it seriously. From then on, it was every time I went shopping.. 2. Were you under the influence of drugs or alcohol when doing this, what's the main reason you did or do it?No I wasn't under the influence of drugs or alcohol. I saw all of my cousins cool stolen stuff and her friends stuff they all had like racking bags and things. As if it was like a hobby. It became like a competition to see who could get the most stuff. Me and my cousin used to take things home with the prices on an add up who's stolen things added up to the most. They made it seem like it was okay and that I wasn't going to get caught. 3. Why do you think a lot of teenagers shoplift?Partly because things are so expensive.. but also because its exciting and a bit of a game. 4. Were you scared of being caught? Could you have been “high”on adrenalin?. Yeah, I was a bit scared.. and that makes taking little things like top exciting.. but then you get used to it and have to take more and bigger, more expensive things to get the same 5. What do you believe your parents would have thought if they had been aware of your They would have been EXTREMELY DISSAPPOINTED. 6. Please describe with as much detail as you can what you believe were your attitudes and motives at the time of shoplifting.I think I felt pretty cool because I wasn't paying for all this stuff.. and it was sort of my rebellion against everything and anything. 7. Have you felt guilty about doing this?Not really.. I felt that the big companies wouldn't notice if i took a few things.. that it was no skin off their neck 8. Do you know any peers who have shoplifted? Yeah a few 9. Do you know if their motives were the same as yours? Not sure, probably. Just not being able to afford something and wanting it, teenagers can't afford to buy clothes and make-up taking it is easier. 10. Do you know of anyone being caught for shoplifting do you know what effect, if any, this Yeah a couple of girls in my year got caught.. and they had to go to court and stuff I think. They didn't get a criminal record as far as I know they were only advised against shoplifting . INTERVIEW WITH A POLICE OFFICER 1. I believe that incidents of shoplifting are increasing within the city as there seems to be greater opportunity for teenagers to shoplift. Is this your experience? how do you feel your community measures up as a regional area? I am not able to release any statistics, however I think you are probably right and as we get more shopping outlets there is certainly more potential for shoplifting crime to increase. I am sure you are more aware these days of signs advising customers that shoplifters will be 2. Do you find it is primarily teenagers who are reported to police for shoplifting? It is predominantly young persons who are caught but we do occasionally get organised groups of older persons who sometimes steal to order. 3. What is your personal opinion on shoplifting? I think shoplifting is very wrong. It is often the start of the young person's criminal career. 4. What are the consequences for teens caught shoplifting? A young person arrested by the Police for shoplifting can be dealt with in the following ways: 1) Warning - On the first occasion we often warn them to try and prevent them receiving criminal records. 2) Formal caution - this involves attending a Police station with a parent/guardian and being spoken to by a Sergeant of Police. 3) Conferencing - Sometimes we arrange for the young person to meet up with the victims and speak about what they have done. They are sometimes asked to come up with an arrangement (ie a letter of apology 4) Criminal charges. Sometimes the young persons re-offend even after being dealt with by Police. That is very disappointing and of considerable concern to us. 6. I am especially interested in their motivethis way? The young persons motives are often opportunistic and peer pressure has a lot to do with it. 7. Do you think they understand the unlawful and antisocial nature of their behaviour? I believe they do not reflect about this at all until perhaps being apprehended can have this outcome. Generally there does seem to be a trend where there is less remorse for this form of stealing. INTERVIEW WITH A POLICE OFFICER 1. I believe that incidents of shoplifting are increasing within the city as there seems to be greater opportunity for teenagers to shoplift. Is this your experience? how do you feel your community measures up as a regional area? I am not able to release any statistics, however I think you are probably right and as we get more shopping outlets there is certainly more potential for shoplifting crime to increase. I am sure you are more aware these days of signs advising customers that shoplifters will be 2. Do you find it is primarily teenagers who are reported to police for shoplifting? It is predominantly young persons who are caught but we do occasionally get organised groups of older persons who sometimes steal to order. 3. What is your personal opinion on shoplifting? I think shoplifting is very wrong. It is often the start of the young person's criminal career. 4. What are the consequences for teens caught shoplifting? A young person arrested by the Police for shoplifting can be dealt with in the following ways: 1) Warning - On the first occasion we often warn them to try and prevent them receiving criminal records. 2) Formal caution - this involves attending a Police station with a parent/guardian and being spoken to by a Sergeant of Police. 3) Conferencing - Sometimes we arrange for the young person to meet up with the victims and speak about what they have done. They are sometimes asked to come up with an arrangement (ie a letter of apology 4) Criminal charges. Sometimes the young persons re-offend even after being dealt with by Police. That is very disappointing and of considerable concern to us. 6. I am especially interested in their motivethis way? The young persons motives are often opportunistic and peer pressure has a lot to do with it. 7. Do you think they understand the unlawful and antisocial nature of their behaviour? I believe they do not reflect about this at all until perhaps being apprehended can have this outcome. Generally there does seem to be a trend where there is less remorse for this form of stealing. INTERVIEW WITH A TEENAGE SHOPLIFTER 1.You have admitted to shoplifting. Please describe the nature of this: e.g. Where did it I first started at a very young age maybe around 5, I took a lip balm but it wasn't until I went to Melbourne a few years ago that my cousin taugdoing it seriously. From then on, it was every time I went shopping.. 2. Were you under the influence of drugs or alcohol when doing this, what's the main reason you did or do it?No I wasn't under the influence of drugs or alcohol. I saw all of my cousins cool stolen stuff and her friends stuff they all had like racking bags and things. As if it was like a hobby. It became like a competition to see who could get the most stuff. Me and my cousin used to take things home with the prices on an add up who's stolen things added up to the most. They made it seem like it was okay and that I wasn't going to get caught. 3. Why do you think a lot of teenagers shoplift?Partly because things are so expensive.. but also because its exciting and a bit of a game. 4. Were you scared of being caught? Could you have been “high”on adrenalin?. Yeah, I was a bit scared.. and that makes taking little things like top exciting.. but then you get used to it and have to take more and bigger, more expensive things to get the same 5. What do you believe your parents would have thought if they had been aware of your They would have been EXTREMELY DISSAPPOINTED. 6. Please describe with as much detail as you can what you believe were your attitudes and motives at the time of shoplifting.I think I felt pretty cool because I wasn't paying for all this stuff.. and it was sort of my rebellion against everything and anything. 7. Have you felt guilty about doing this?Not really.. I felt that the big companies wouldn't notice if i took a few things.. that it was no skin off their neck 8. Do you know any peers who have shoplifted? Yeah a few 9. Do you know if their motives were the same as yours? Not sure, probably. Just not being able to afford something and wanting it, teenagers can't afford to buy clothes and make-up taking it is easier. 10. Do you know of anyone being caught for shoplifting do you know what effect, if any, this Yeah a couple of girls in my year got caught.. and they had to go to court and stuff I think. They didn't get a criminal record as far as I know they were only advised against shoplifting . www.aic.gov.au/publications/crimprev/motives -accessed 5/10/08 www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=93793 -accessed 5/0/08 www.nytimes.com/gast/fullpage.html – accessed 5/10/08 www.lcmedia.com/mind455.htm -accessed 5/10/08 www.shopliftingprevention.org/whatnaspoffers/nrc/psychologicalStudies.htm accessed 25/10/08www.bureauofstatistics.org – accessed 3/10/08http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/brothers/374617_joyce813.html -accessed23/10/08www.untwist-your-thinking.com -accessed 19/11/08 www.sunherald.com.au/apps/index.ac -accessed 10/11/08 www.messenger-news.whereilive.com.au -accessed 26/11/08 www.cyc-net.org/today011016.html -accessed 19/11/08 www.hero.ac.uk/ukbusiness/artchives/2002/tricks_of_the_shoplifter_1378.cfm accessed 23/11/08 www.troubledteen101.com/articles20.html -accessed 23/10/08 www.telegraph.co.uk/education/3355946/Teenage-shoplifting-A-lesson-I-hope-she- – accessed 29/10/08www.theftcenter.org/newsmagazine.htm – accessed 26/10/08www.popcenter.org/problems/shoplifting/PDFs/fcpu11.pdf – accessed 9/11/08 www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-155402091.html -accessed 26/11/08 During the project there were a number of difficulties encountered. Because the topic is rather contemporary in terms of being publicly recognised and addressed it was difficult to find newspaper articles. Overall it was challenging to find truly useful articles on the topic and a lot more time would be needed to find helpful resources. Choosing a subject that has copious amounts of research on it or by dedicating more time to researching the subject prior to deciding on a research question would have overcome this problem. Accessing more secondary sources of data other than the Internet such as community centres and counselling services may have provided more in-depth secondary data. The interviews were done at the last minute and time limitations resulted in a lack of qualitative data. It is suggested that future research would allow for the interviews to be conducted early on and time be allocated for respondents to elaborate and extend on their ideas if necessary. The questionnaires were an issue as some people were not willing to fill them out and dishonest responses could have affected the reliability of the results. Many of the younger participants did not understand some of the questions and as a result didn't fill them out. The sensitivity of the topic of shoplifting may have also prevented participants from answering some of the questions. In the future I would remove any personal questions regarding shoplifting and ask questions in relation to people’s views on those who shoplift. Whilst I could not control how people chose to fill them out having a statement about confidentiality in the introduction of my questionnaires may have made people feel more secure. Another issue was time management as there was a lot of procrastination in the first weeks of the project and not all class lessons were used efficiently, this led to having to rush the analysis and conclusion of my research. In the future I will closely follow my time plan and make sure all lessons designated to the project are used effectively. 46% of those surveyed admitted to shoplifting once or more in their lives. All of those people who admitted to shoplifting were female which supports secondary statistics suggesting that girls were now the predominant figure in teenage shoplifting. Secondary data showed that teenage shoplifting is on the rise with more and more teenagers getting caught. In Adelaide alone there has been a 50% increase in the arrest of children aged 10-14. The article from the Crime prevention series showed data to support these results stating that in the past decade shoplifting has dramatically increased among teenagers and that boys are no longer Primary data about the frequency of shoplifting showed a rate of 46% of teenage shoplifting is done monthly or more frequently. This compares with American Statistics showing that 57% of retail store shop lifters admit to stealing monthly or more (www.associatedcontent.com/article/183545 /shopliftingstatisticstactics75 of.html While less than half those surveyed expressed disapproval about shoplifting, 66% agreed to feelings of guilt about shoplifting. Secondary data suggests that shoplifting is addictive and to some people it is like a game, and shoplifting was described as giving a person a “buzz” or “high” feeling. This was supported by primary data from the interview with a shoplifter who stated that it was ‘well as 26% of questionnaire respondents who stated they shoplift ‘’. 76% of respondents shared the view that there are more teenagers who shoplift than adults. 37% of respondents agreed that ‘tis pressure for teens to shoplift to keep up with friends’ and almost half of the sample group (40%) stated that the motive to shoplift to get cool and expensive items for free”. These results demonstrate thedisadvantage may have on a person’s decision to shoplift. This data is further supported by the study on shoplifting done in Canberra in 1992 that compared older shoplifters to younger shoplifters showing economic disadvantage as the motive for 72% of adult shoplifters where as teenagers were often persuaded into shoplifting by dare or peer pressure i.e. “everyone is doing it”. interviews as well as secondary research data clearly shows that shoplifting is common amongst teenagers and that the main reasons behind their decision to shoplift include peer pressure and risk taking. Conclusion In conclusion the research has shown that teenage shoplifting is very present in today's society. Many teenagers are partaking in risky behaviours due to boredom with every day norms and shoplifting appears to provide them with a ‘thrill’ or ‘high’ feeling. Shoplifting has also provided teenagers with a feeling of acceptance amongst their social networks, contributing to their social wellbeing. This research proves that shoplifting is becoming a part of teenage IRPExample39 Strong disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrong Agree Graph 4 – Do you believe that shoplifting is more common among teenagers? The above pie chart reveals that 43% of teenagers do in fact believe that shoplifting is more common among people between the ages of 13-18 then adults above 18. An additional 33% agree that this is true and the remaining 24% have no opinion on the matter or believe that shoplifting is more prevalent in adults. IRPExample38 IRPExample37 NeedsWantsRebellionFree itemsPowerThrillCan't controlFriends do itParents Don't do it 02468101214 Motives for shoplifting Have no problemStrongly disapprovePeople's choiceAgree with it 0246810121416 Opinion on Teenage Shoplifting Graph 2 – What are your motives for shoplifting? Graph 2 shows that the primary motives for teenagers to shoplift are because they want the items but can't afford them (40%), to get cool and expensive things for free (40%) and because it gives them a sense of power (40%). A large majority (26%) also said they shoplift for the thrill they receive from it, which is also evident in other studies done on shoplifting. Interestingly the results contradict the large belief that peer pressure is responsible for most shoplifting in teenagers with only 13% saying they did it because of influence of friends. Graph 3 – What is your opinion on teenagers who shoplift?This graph reveals that 50% of all the teenagers surveyed believe that it is the individuals own choice about whether they shoplift or not and most stated that “It's there future/ consequences”. Out of those surveyed 1/3 do not have a problem with shoplifting whilst 26% strongly disapprove of it. The results show that 0% of people actually agree with shoplifting despite not having any actual problem with it. IRPExample36Results - Primary research Graph 1 - Have you ever shoplifted before? 46% of those surveyed have shoplifted once or more in their lives and 40% have never tried to shoplift. Four people (or 13%) said that they had not tried to shoplift but have friends that have and 3% have thought about it or have but didn't want to. These results seem much divided in the sense that teenagers that have shoplifted and teenager's that have never shoplifted are almost equal. This article showed that in the past decade shoplifting has dramatically increased among teenagers and that boys are no longer the predominant gender involved in shoplifting. The article was also provided a more in depth study of the reasons why people shoplift - accumulated stress, economic motives, character defects, the thrill and professional ovided details of an objective study on shoplifting in Canberra in 1992 that showed “Males were predominate among juvenile shoplifting” and the groups most prevalent for retail crime were those aged over 55 and under 25. The study suggested that shoplifting crime may have to do with the physiological frame of mind and economic status of these particular age groups - depression and stress being two major factors driving people to shoplift. The study compared older shoplifters to younger shoplifters showing economic disadvantage as the motive for 72% of adult shoplifters where as teenagers were often persuaded into shoplifting by dare or peer pressure i.e. “everyone is doing it”. “Sticky fingers: get the lowdown on the dangers of shoplifting” is an article by Leah Paulos uploaded to a weekly reader publication of Current Health on December the 1st 2006. This article provided a specific example of a shoplifter (who's name had been changed) and the psychological and physical consequences that can happen to teenagers when they shoplift. The article was valuable because it not only explained the negative impacts of shoplifting but also provided statistics and discussion questions at the end which assisted in the development of questions for the interviews conducted in this The article used the example of a 14 year old boy Matt to show how a shoplifter thinks i.e.“Really, I assumed I would get away with it” and then delves into the facts to back up the serious nature of shoplifting. According to this article $25 million worth of goods are stolen daily and most of this is from department or convenience stores. This article stated that ¼ of all shoplifters are teens and 86% of teenagers know people who shoplift. Data suggested that shoplifting is addictive and to some people it is like a game “After stealing something and getting away with it, people might become hooked”, this is similar to data from other articles that described shoplifting as a “buzz” or “high” feeling. The second shoplifting example showed that the shoplifter believed it was okay to steal from big corporations as they were “faceless” and ripping people off. The final data was sourced from the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention website which is primarily dedicated to maintaining the latest statistics and facts on shoplifting. It contained some facts about teenage shoplifting and was extremely useful in getting an accurate list of overall statistics on the issue. This secondary source provided useful statistics on the frequency and severity of shoplifting and aided in the development of questions that would be useful for primary research. This website provided specific data in regards to the most common locations for shoplifting, the age ranges that partake in shoplifting and how often people shoplift. It showed that 69% of shoplifters say they “steal in department stores”. 25% of shoplifters are juveniles, 57% of shoplifters say they steal monthly or more and shoplifters say they are caught “an average of once every 48 times” which is why the crime continues. IRPExample34Results - Secondary research - Literature Review Various data were sourced from the internet, an electronic source of data, and provided the researcher background knowledge and a greater understanding of the research topic. The reviews of this data provided informative results in regards to understanding the issue of shoplifting among teenagers. rise in child arrests' was printed by Messenger Community News (Adelaide) on the 25/11/08. This article recognises the impact shoplifting by teenagers has in the state of Adelaide. It explains that teenage shoplifting is on the rise with more and more teenagers being careless and getting caught. In Adelaide alone there has been a 50% increase in the arrest of children aged 10-14 and the Police believe that “The spike was mainly driven by a rise in youths caught shoplifting”. According to the article the arrests of girls aged 15 and 16 in the Adelaide district increased by nearly half “from 125 in 2006/07 to 186 in 2007/08” The consequences of this have meant greater security personnel have had to be employed with a more specific objective of catching commented on the rise in youth crime by saying “Obviously there's an acceptance among some of these kidssomething, they'll take it”. This highlighted how shoplifting has become a serious issue for youth in Australia and that it isn't just a “cool” impulsive on the spot decision but that some teens are actually planning when to A second article entitled Middle Class Girls Shoplifting was printed on an online forum on Sunday March 9th 2008 and written by Camilla Tominey. This article contributed gave specific examples and statistics of nature of teenage girls shoplifting. This article also explained the motives behind why that the main party responsible for teenage shoplifting is in fact teenagers from middle class backgrounds who can actually afford the items. The article states that many schoolgirls have taken to shoplifting in order to experience a “buzz” and for the fifth year in a row are leading boys in statistics ( 14,389 girls aged 12-20 in England Wales in 2006 compared to 11.542 boys). The article states that the most prolific in incidences of shoplifting are middle class girls aged 13 to 15 with the main motive being peer pressure and bullying by friends. The article also suggested that children in modern times are too spoilt relying on parents to buy them items they cannot afford and as a result regardless of whether their parents say yes or Shoplifter's motives is an Australian study from 1992, was helpful in comparing and contrasting how teenage shoplifting has progressed in terms of who is shoplifting but that the motives for why they do it has remained the same in recent years. Methodologies The research methodologies that have been used are: Questionnaires - used to survey a variety of teenagers on the issue –used to see two contrasting individual opinions. Literature review – used to provide a A questionnaire is a primary source of data that involves creating a series of open and closed questions that can be distributed to a large number of people in order to find out their view or opinion on an issue. This methodology was conducted in order to gather an idea of the frequency of shoplifting within the local community and to begin to shape the opinion of teenagers on the issue. 30 Questionnaires were distributed through both cluster and random samples allowing me to maintain control of the age of respondents (Cluster -Teenagers). Each method was effective in the sense it allowed for both a range of ages to provide their opinion and personal experiences of shoplifting. An interview is a primary source of data that involves face-to-face open questions asked to a chosen respondent who has knowledge on a subject. Interviews were conducted with two contrasting characters – a shoplifter and a police officer. Their responses provided an in-depth personal opinion on how they see teenage shoplifting and a descriptive idea of its effect on society. The interview with the policeman was conducted to derive information on how a figure of the law views teenage shoplifting and what the consequences of shoplifting are. The second interview with a shoplifter was conducted in order to gather a second perspective on how shoplifters themselves perceive teenage shoplifting and their personal reasons for why they do it. These interviews helped with the overall research in the sense they allowed both parties to express an opinion removing from previously written articles, books and websites that have been published and are a critical account of key points from existing studies. This method was used as a means of finding information to explain why teenagers shoplift from the views of educated specialists and people who have researched Introduction shoplifting. The aim of this study is to effectively answer the question is teenage shoplifting becoming a part of our culture? The main reason for selecting this topic to research is due to the researcher’s disapproval with the behaviour and interest in finding out why others feel the need to This research topic relates to Community and Family Studies in a variety of ways particularly when looking at individuals and Some teenagers may steal because they suffer from poor economic wellbeing and cannot afford certain purchases. Socioeconomic status (SES)does not discriminate, shoplifting can occur within low, middle and high SES communities Social wellbeing Some teenagers may shoplift to feel Influences on availability of and access to Age - Shoplifting appears to be more younger people are more likely to engage in risky, thrill-seeking behaviours. Disability - Teenage shoplifting could be because of a disorder or disease such as kleptomaniacs, in this case shoplifting may not be able to be controlled. Education – a lack of education could impact the individual’s economic status and be the driving force behind the decision to shoplift. Gender- shoplifting is more predominant in female youth than males. Personal nature of values An individuals values and standards may deter them from shoplifting as they may feel it is wrong Data will be collected by distributing interviewing a police officer and an admitted shoplifter as well as collecting a number of articles on the topic and choosing the five most helpful to create a literature review. As shoplifting is a contemporary issue and is not frequently publicly discussed it will be difficult to find a variety of books and newspaper articles on it so the main source for data will be the Internet. It is expected that this research will show the number and frequency of teenage shoplifters and their motives behind shoplifting. The researcher predicts that data will show that teenage shoplifting has increased within the past decade and is considered a common pressure from peers and financial pressures. r 15th, 2009 In our modern society shoplifting is expanding the influence of the media. The ideal of 'Keeping up with the Jones's' is pushing teenagers into shoplifting in order to conform and feel accepted by their friends. This research project delves into the world of teenagers to find out whether shoplifting is becoming a part of their daily lives. The aim of this research was to find out whether there has been an increase in teenage shoplifting and if it is becoming a part of youth culture. A variety of sources and methodologies were used to try and prove or disprove that shoplifting is becoming a part of youth culture. The report that follows aims to educate and inform readers on the issue of teenage shoplifting and comment on it's affect in the community. Ten weeks of research resulted in the conclusion that teenage shoplifting is in fact on the increase and that there is a feeling of pressure for teenagers to shoplift items they Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the Mrs Staunton and Mrs Parsons, especially in helping me get to some survey homeroom groups as well as proof reading work and making suggestions foteachers acted as a guide in assuring the successful completion of the project and helped as much as possible. My mother was supportive during the research of the project. She is acknowledged for assisting me with the editing and organisation of the project. The trust of the two people I interviewed is greatly appreciated as it was important that their anonymity be protected. The Police Officer was not in a position to respond “officially” so he asked not to be identified. I would like to express my appreciation for the students who responded to my survey questionnaire and my parents and friends for discussing my ideas and encouraging me.