| For parents, the thought of a child turning into a | | | | The problems start to arise between the age of four |
| kleptomaniac is most distressing. The truth of the | | | | and eight. According to many researchers, children will |
| matter is that it's common for children to take things | | | | continue to do bad things during this period because |
| that don't belong to them at an early age. Children are | | | | they are still feeling out the process. They have a little |
| learning right and wrong, especially before the age of | | | | more knowledge of the situations they are in, but they |
| eight. Without the knowledge of life experiences, | | | | still don't process they concept of consequence. During |
| children have no real way of understanding exactly | | | | this stage, when children steal they will likely feel |
| what it is that they are doing. But what about when it | | | | ashamed and they will hide their actions. It is during this |
| keeps happening? Is a childhood thief more likely to be | | | | time that parents often move in and make sure to |
| a criminal down the road? | | | | correct the behavior of their children. Most kids |
| In order to understand childhood stealing, you have to | | | | respond to this parenting, and their thieving is quickly |
| understand the differences in age. According a Perri | | | | put to rest. Parents have reason to be concerned, |
| Klass article in the New York Times, not all childhood | | | | though, if their kids continue to act out by stealing. |
| criminals are created equal. Just because a child steals | | | | There are more concerns about the future of kids |
| at a young age doesn't necessarily mean he or she | | | | who steal after the age of eight. Before a kid passes |
| will become a thief as an adult. | | | | this threshold, his or her stealing means little more than |
| Children under the age of four just don't understand | | | | just feeling out their limits and seeing what they can |
| what they are doing as they don't have a full grasp of | | | | and can't do. After being constantly corrected, if a child |
| wrong and right, and they certainly do not pick up on | | | | continues to steal, then there should be some concern |
| the idea of possession. For this reason, you can see | | | | for what they might become in the future. The root of |
| why it's important to take their stealing with a grain of | | | | the stealing is the real problem, because these kids are |
| salt. Even calling it "stealing" would be a little bit | | | | often reaching out for attention. They are acting out |
| misleading, since most of these children don't have any | | | | because of anger, fear, or some other psychological |
| idea of what their actions mean. But there is some | | | | pressure. Psychologists have shown that this type of |
| positive that can come out of these situations. Parents | | | | pressure can cause more crimes in the future, in a |
| who take the opportunity to instill the differences in | | | | continued effort to get whatever it is that they are |
| "mine" and "yours" at a very young age have been | | | | lacking. |
| known to make a direct impact on their children. | | | | |