Children First: Child advocates want changes in theft policies - KOTA Territory News

The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention reports a quarter of shoplifters are juveniles.

But child advocates around Rapid City worry more about other kinds of theft among kids.

"I think stealing is 100 percent common in all young children," said Holli Vanderbeek, program director at Youth and Family Services.
 
It's a habit she says a lot of kids outgrow.
 
"As they get older into school age, you know, first grade, they understand the difference between right and wrong," she said.
 
And while the kids we talked to said they thought stealing was wrong no matter what, not everyone feels that way.
 
"One of the things that is disturbing is you do have some kids who are very street-wise, and they're very aware that if you're under 10, if you're shoplifting or the police are involved, they can't take you in," said Club for Boys director Mark Kline.
 
Kline went on to say he's seen parents using young kids to shoplift for just that reason, and that translates to the kids' behavior later in life.
 
"Those values aren't held by everyone, that stealing is wrong," he said. "We've seen kids who are kleptomaniacs at age 12 or 13," a problem he doesn't think can be resolved with just a legal shift.
 
"It's a societal thing," said Kline. "You can't just rely on the Club for Boys or YFS or the YMCA to do these things. It really comes down to having the families involved."
 
"With preschoolers, it can be something as simple as saying 'That's not right. It hurts other people when you do that,'" said Vanderbeek, adding it gets trickier with older kids.

Another issue adults face is kids not knowing what constitutes theft.

Advocates say parents need to talk to their kids about the similarities and differences between keeping something you find and actually taking it from someone.