Put some money in your pocket and you’re ready, willing and able to shop till you drop, right? The desire for more and more brand labels and stuff, becomes scary when some kids decide to get what they want, not by shopping, but by shoplifting.

Even many teenagers who have the money to spend or the credit card to show, “snatch” things. You probably know some of them. To a lot of kids, taking clothing, CDs, jewelry, you name it, is just a prank, a dare, or a way to get a rush in the middle of a boring or bad day. But no matter why they do it, stealing is stealing. It’s a crime whether the lawbreaker is shoplifting a T-shirt or robbing a bank.

The penalty or the price the shoplifter pays is heavy, and the reward is not so great. Don’t let anybody tell you it isn’t. Today all shoplifters, except very young children, are arrested. This is because major chains and stores in malls pay big time for all of the shoplifting that is done.

In a national survey asking teenagers 13-17 why they shoplift, these are some reasons they gave:

1. For the thrill of getting away with it
2. Because all other kids are doing it
3. It's like a test other kids give you to see if you are good enough to join a certain 
    group
4. What you wear is really important and you don’t have the cash to buy what the 
    other kids are wearing