Kleptomania in childhood9/20/2023 ![]() This disorder is about the thrill of stealing and not necessarily about the items being stolen. ![]() Normally, they will steal things that they do not need or things they have the money to purchase. There might be a specific item they steal all the time or random objects. Sometimes a person with Kleptomania will steal things to return them to the store for cash or gift cards. It is also possible that the child will get very defensive when asked more questions about the item and try to deflect the focus from the item and onto an argument. When confronted about new items the child might have different excuses such as a friend gave it to them or they won it in a contest. Someone with Kleptomania will steal from family and friends as well as stores or school. Some might be more calculated and can get a thrill out of stealing things that are difficult to steal. Those with Kleptomania might be opportunistic and will steal things that are easy targets from places they might not get caught. If the child is older and has more independence you may notice that there are items that have theft deterrent devices still connected to them or removed. Treatment becomes more difficult the longer the behavior is allowed to happen.Ī sign that your child might have Kleptomania is the presence of items that you did not purchase and that the child has no way of obtaining. It is important that if compulsive stealing is noticed in a child that it be confronted immediately. There could be other disorders such as an impulse control disorder or mood disorder. There might be rules that are not enforced or only enforced sometimes. Those at risk for Kleptomania often live in homes where limits and boundaries are not clearly set. A person that steals uncontrollably gains some chemical feedback from the pleasure center of the brain due to the release of endorphins associated with the possibility of getting caught. At some point the behavior becomes habit and that habit leads to a compulsion. It is possible that a child gets some form of reinforcement from stealing or is asked to steal for the good of the family. In some children and adults the desire to take things does not end. It is a lesson that most take into adulthood and pass on to the next generation. Most children learn their lesson early in life that taking things that do not belong to them is not okay. Kleptomania is a serious disorder that could land you or your loved one in jail.
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