Is Shoplifting A Teenage Rite of Passage????

[moonblushtomato]

Thoughts???

[Chubfuddler]

No.

[bacere]

NO!

[JustFabulous]

No, what a ridiculous thing to say.

[pumpkinsweetie]

No

[OlympicMarathonNCer]

No.

[chrisrobin]

No, certainly not.

[CharminglyOdd]

No.

[scurryfunge]

No, I don't think so.

[usualsuspect]

Loads of teenagers I knew nicked the pick and mix. From woolies back in the day

[Born2BRiiiled]

Absolutely not!

[SecretSquirrels]

usualsuspect new acronym on this board BITD.

Actually my group of friends did, BITD which was 1970s.
I never joined in. They were bad friends.
I warned both DSs before they were allowed to "town" with friends that they might come across this, or, more likely, that shop staff might view groups of teenagers as potential shoplifters. I have seen it. Perfectly innocent girls browsing in a group being followed like criminals.

[BalloonSlayer]

Fucking well hope not

[Metabilis3]

No it very isn't.

[GnomeDePlume]

No (and like Squirrels also warned DCs about the assumption that groups of teenagers are up to no good)

[landofsoapandglory]

No!

[usualsuspect]

My sister got a warning for nicking a pen from Smiths, shes ok now though, very respectable

[Oblomov]

I stole quite a few things from woolies - tiny notebooks, pens etc. was caught and totally humiliated. Worked. Never did it again.

[usualsuspect]

I miss Woolies

[jazzchickens]

I miss Woolies also Usual.

Pick & Mix was there for the taking. Too much temptation.

They should have been called Nick & Mix.

[usualsuspect]

lol at nick and mix

[moonblushtomato]

Oh dear.

It would seem that DS1's best friend has been spotted "on the nick" at Asda.

He seems like such a lovely 14yo and DS1 doesn't find making friends that easy.

To make things worse a PSP has gone missing from our house....I really don't want to think the worst, I just want to find the blessed thing.

DH said I should set a honey trap but then I would have to confront the boy.

What a crappy situation...

Any ideas???

[GnomeDePlume]

The usual one which I would be talking to DS about is to find out if there is any sort of bullying/protection going on at school.

Talk to your DS about what has happened. I wouldnt be setting any sort of trap.

If DS' friend is a thief then he wont be a good friend to your DS (friends dont steal from each other)

[moonblushtomato]

Thanks gnome, No I don't think the whole bullying/protection thing is going one here, although it at PRIMARY school (scary eh?!)

I think I need to talk to the mum who initially told me about the shoplifting, but I would still feel very uncomfortable telling DS!

[GnomeDePlume]

If your DS is still primary and the friend is 14 then I think you need to keep a very careful eye out. That is a very big age gap and very easy for there to be an imbalance in the friendship (older boy telling younger boy what to do).