Does Your Child Steal?

Negative habits may be picked up by children easily as their sense of right and wrong, their ability to take strong decisions, their will power to refrain from what is incorrect is not well developed. In the absence of conscience, children may be tempted to get into wrong habits, without realizing or knowing the consequence of the action.

Sometimes, children have a feeling that what they are doing is wrong, but get encouraged as they feel no one knows about it, there is no one really watching them so there is no way they will be punished or scolded, there will not be a drastic consequence for what they are doing etc.

Another reason could be an irresistible desire to get an object that they fancy. For example, chocolates, a fancy pen or pencil, stickers or pictures belonging to other kids, money which will help them to buy ice candy or a bar of chocolate, shoes that are very attractive and so on.

Children may not be able to get over the temptation for the object that they are stealing and may have a belief that they will not get caught or no one will find out that they stole it.

Parents need to be vigilant and routinely check the school bag for items that they have not brought for the kid. Question them about things that do not belong to them; ask about how they got it, did it cost anything, who is the person who gave it, can they meet him/her etc. Do not let the kid out of the loop easily; don’t accept everything they say at face value. Cross-question them; let them know that you suspect they stole it.

Instilling a fear of punishment can act as a deterrent for the kid. Fear of punishment and surety of punishment, and knowledge of consequence will stop them. Do not make empty threats to children; take punitive steps when you find that the child is stealing.

Use the threat of father or school teacher, God or any authority that the child fears so that the child will think twice before stealing.