Parents Can Keep Kids Out of a 4 Hour Theft Class

I hope all of you agree with me that parents should be good role models for their children. I mean how can they expect their kids to stay away from tobacco when they smoke a pack of Marlboros a day? How can they expect their kids not to drink when they see their parents boozing it up all the time? How can they keep their kids from shoplifting when they steal too?


As a counselor for both in-class and online stop theft classes I hear first-hand how many kids witnessed their parents steal or actually participated in a theft with their folks. What kind of parental behavior is that?

I recently counseled a student who had been arrested more than 10 times for shoplifting. She was only 19 years old. It seems impossible for that to be the case, but she stole to get her parents attention. She stole to make them proud. Her parents too were compulsive shoplifters. Not surprisingly both parents had spent significant amounts of time behind bars. My 19-year-old is headed in that direction.


After taking a 4 hour online theft class and counseling she has ceased her behaviors, even if her parents continue to steal. I have encouraged her to get her parents into one of my classes or into my office. At this point we can only hope that her parents are influenced by her positive behavior.