Juvenile Punishment For Shoplifting
Shoplifting is a serious offence and punishable under law. In numerous cases, the offence can leave a negative impression on the individual’s character making it difficult for him to live with the tag for the rest of his life. |
Children and teenagers form a large constituent of shoplifters (nearly 50 percent) in America making it a serious cause of concern for the family and the country. Youngsters can be lured and encouraged to steal or shoplift. They are considered “cool” and “brave” making them feel heroic after committing the crime. The confidence experienced after stealing some item from a shop and escaping without being caught encourages the child to perform the crime repeatedly.
Children and the elderly are fooled into thinking that shoplifting offences by juveniles will not amount to huge punishments. Juvenile shoplifting can be a serious offence depending on the frequency of the crime committed, the amount of items stolen and their net market value. Serious offences are punished severely. Age is no barrier in such situations and no individual is above law. Different states have different laws regarding the offence.
However, the following punishments can be meted out to juveniles caught shoplifting:
- Counseling the kid to get him/her back on track
- Asking the child to take part in community services for a stipulated period
- Detention for the crime committed
- Making the child pay up for the stolen goods
- Banning the child from entering the shop again
- Probation orders until an improvement in the offender’s behavior is observed.
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