Is Shoplifting A Teenage Rite of Passage????

[moonblushtomato]

Thoughts???

Do you mean 'right of passage' as in 'has to be done as part of growing up' - no - or 'very common behaviour for teens? In which case, yes. I bet most kids do it. Run thru your adult friends/relations and ask... Then ask all the older teens you know... BITD it was Woolies; now it is pound shops and Home Bargains. Peak ages seem to be 12-14, presumably because before that they are with their parents, and after that they get arrested.

But there's a big difference between pinching something from a pound shop for a dare, and stealing a PSP from a friend. Friends DO sometimes steal from each other's houses - I have had it happen to me several times, and several times more I *thought it happened, but it turned out to be my own son. :( Keep an eye on that, because IME it's linked to early drug use: they want to buy cannabis but of course don't have enough income to support the habit, so sell their own possessions or steal others' to sell. :(

Gnome they are both 14.

I guess I meant Rite of Passage as something that is very common behaviour for teenagers. I was hoping that most of you would say that it is as I didn't want to think badly of this lad.

Lots of my teenage peers BITD indulged in shoplifting for a very short time ( I was too chicken )

God flow4 you've really got me worrying now!!

Sorry MoonBlush, I misunderstood your post where you mentioned primary.

I think you do need to have firm words with your DS. Thieving isnt that common and also if caught the culprit is likely to find him/herself in a whole world of trouble. This is not some sort of jape. Your DS and/or his friend could very easily find themselves in police trouble.

If it is stealing for a reason as suggested by Maryz & Flow4 then you need to be addressing it quickly.

Sorry :(

Well, I've found the PSP, Thank the lord!!

Regarding anything else, I'm 99% certain that this lad and my DS are NOT stealing to buy drugs.

What I've decided to do is talk to DS in a general way about the evils of shoplifting and....thats about it. I can't stop him from seeing this friend can I?
He's the only friend he sees outside school.

Not normal. Most know it's wrong, IME.

I only know of one teenager who's done that - maybe there are others who haven't been caught. She was a right little madam who went to a posh school. Her parents are lovely, they were totally when they found out she'd been arrested. Who knows why she did it - cry for help/attention?

Hard to stop him seeing this boy. But if the friend is a lot older, maybe he will get bored with your DS.

My dtws became friends with some older dch. They came round once in a big gang & monopolised the front room. I didn't know how to handle it. So I put the TV on & Noddy was on. My dch were immediately glued to it, the older boys left in disgust!

His friend ISN'T a lot older, he's the same age!!

Don't think he will get bored with my DS as don't think this lad has many friends either.

Sorry, don't know where I got that from.

MoonBlush - I think you are being naive. You need to lay down the law very clearly to your DS. Shops like ASDA prosecute. It is theft. 14 (your DS & friend) is not baby age.

If they are each the only friend for the other then you can bet the PSP that your son will get involved in the shoplifting (if he isnt already). They wont be stealing to put a loaf of bread on the table. They will be stealing for a purpose. They will be stealing for something they want not something they need.

You can ban this so called friend from your home. I did so when my DS took up with someone I didnt want around.

Am going to talk to DS about shoplifting and how its wrong. As far as banning this friend from the house, I feel its far too early to do something like that.