Five-Step Procedure for Stealing

Description of the Strategy

The prevalence of stealing among children presenting at clinical settings has been estimated as high as 60%, making it one of the more common problems brought to the attention of mental health professionals. Developmental studies show that stealing activity tends to reach an early peak around age 3 and a later one between the ages of 8 and 11. Beyond early childhood, stealing rarely presents as an isolated issue; its clinical importance derives in part from its association with a broader constellation of conduct problems. The longer stealing persists, the greater the risk that it will represent an early step on a developmental progression toward chronic and increasingly serious antisocial behavior, usually combined with academic and occupational underachievement. The ...