NCJ Number
25605
Date Published
1973
Length
99 pages
Annotation
PILOT STUDY DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY AND EXAMINE DEMOGRAPHIC AND BEHAVIOR VARIABLES WHICH INDLUENCE SHOPLIFTING BEHAVIOR IN ADOLESCENTS.
Abstract
A SAMPLE POPULATION WAS STRATIFIED BY DELINQUENCY AND SEX AND PARTITIONED INTO FOUR TWO-DIMENSIONAL STRATA: MALE DELINQUENTS, FEMALE DELINQUENTS, MALE NONDELINQUENTS, FEMALE NON-DELINQUENTS. NINE VARIABLES WERE USED TO DESCRIBE SHOPLIFTERS AS COMPARED TO NONSHOPLIFTERS: AGGRESSION; REBELLION AGAINST AUTHORITY; PEER INFLUENCE; NEED FOR ACHIEVEMENT; AROUSAL BEHAVIOR; POSITIVE FEELINGS TOWARD PARENTS; ECONOMIC SELFSUFFICIENCY; PERSONAL CONSUMER NEEDS; AND TO SELL THE ITEM. A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO THREE GROUPS OF ADOLESCENTS - PUBLIC SCHOOL EIGHTH GRADERS AND TWO GROUPS FROM STATE TRAINING SCHOOLS - UNDER AN ANONYMOUS SELFREPORTING PROCEDURE. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT SHOPLIFTERS WOULD BE CHARACTERIZED BY A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DEGREE OF AGGRESSION, REBELLION AGAINST AUTHORITY, RECEPTIVITY TO PEER INFLUENCE, LAW VIOLATING AROUSAL BEHAVIOR AND THE DESIRE FOR ECONOMIC SELFSUFFICIENCY THAN THE NON-SHOPLIFTER. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SHOPLIFTERS SHOWED LARGER SCORES THAN THE NONSHOPLIFTERS ON THREE VARIABLES: REBELLION AGAINST AUTHORITY, AROUSAL, AND PEER INFLUENCE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)