One in Six Adolescents Admits to Stealing Within the Past Year

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One in Six Adolescents Admits to Stealing Within the Past Year

A study has found that one in six young Americans have stolen something within the past year. The study, published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization in November, was based on self-reported theft from 12-to-16-year-olds from 1997 to 2011.

The study found that thieves had lower earnings later in life, after most had already stopped stealing. According to another study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a history of shoplifting increased association with all antisocial behaviors measured, the strongest of which were with increased antisocial personality disorders, substance abuses, pathological gambling, and bipolar disorders. Further studies have linked stealing among adolescents to poor grades, alcohol and drug abuse, sadness and hopelessness.

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