Shoplifting and theft at Walmart: causes and consequences

¶ … person's permission is stealing. The act can be the taking of something as simple as a piece of candy or as big as stealing a car. It can mean taking something from a complete stranger or taking it from your best friend. The stealing can occur in a store where it is considered shoplifting or from the inside of a friend's house but no matter where it takes place or from the item is taken the act remains the same. It is stealing.

The reasons behind stealing are varied and the fact that stealing has been present in every culture from the beginning of mankind makes it a difficult concept to understand. Even the most hardened criminal would likely acknowledge the inherent wrongness of stealing but for reasons not totally understood the act of stealing continues.

One of the most basic reasons that people steal is the lack of self-control and impulsivity. They see something that they want and they take it. These individuals may or may not consider the consequences of their actions but they lack the capacity to control their urge to have the item and they disregard the consequences. They fail to delay their satisfaction and act impulsively. They lack the self-control necessary to think of the consequences.

Other individuals steal because they watch others do it and get away with it; because they are trying to impress their peers; or, they are missing something in their lives and they feel stealing may make them feel better. A small percentage of individuals steal simply because they do not care about rules. They believe that they can get away with it or that in some strange way they deserve to have the stolen goods. Regardless of the reasons, however, the act of stealing is wrong. It is nearly always a crime and, depending on one's religious beliefs, it can also be considered a sin or moral wrong.

The one thing that is often overlooked is that there is certain excitement to the act of stealing that makes it appealing to some individuals. There is a visceral rush that occurs in many people as they are partaking in the act of stealing and it is this visceral rush that motivates some to continue stealing even when they recognize the risks involved. After the fact the same individual may feel remorse, recognizing that he or she may have done wrong, and for a few moments regret having done it but the next time the opportunity presents itself succumbs to the excitement once again.

Although it may not always seem to be the case, stealing has serious consequences. It has potential serious consequences for the individual doing the stealing; for the family of the person doing the stealing; and for society in general. For the individual doing the stealing, the consequences should be obvious. First, there is the very real possibility of getting caught. Getting caught could result in substantial embarrassment, lost of reputation, and possible criminal prosecution and incarceration. Which of these consequences is experienced depends on a variety of factors and the circumstances of each case differ but they are real and must be addressed by the individual being caught.

In the case of the individual doing the stealing the consequences are deserved. He or she has participated in the act and, as a result, merits the sanctions. However, the family of the perpetrator and society, in general, do not deserve anything because of the theft. The family does not deserve the resulting embarrassment, the resulting financial effects such as the cost of litigation and facing the possibility of the person doing the stealing being incarcerated. These are very real possibilities all resulting from a momentary impulse to steal.

The effects on the individual and family are more transparent and easily understood but the effects on society, although more subtle, are equally as important. Stealing raises the cost of virtually every consumer product. Stores that have been victimized by shoplifters must pass the cost of the lost goods onto other consumers. Stores must utilize the services of in -- store security in order to frustrate and apprehend those engaged in possible shoplifting and purchase security devices in order to detect those who have shoplifted. These are very real and highly expensive measures that raise significantly the cost of doing business and, not unexpectedly, the costs of these measures are borne by the imposition of higher prices.

Stores are not the only entity affected by stealing. Insurance companies must charge higher rates in order to provide coverage for stolen cars, jewelry, purses, electronics, and many more consumer goods that are ordinarily insurable. Again, it is not the insurance company absorbing this loss but the consuming public who absorbs the cost through the payment of higher premiums.