Overview

Stealing is a common behaviour across all age groups, with studies showing that 11.3% of adults and 15.2% of high school students have stolen at some point in their lives.¹ However, repetitive and uncontrollable stealing may reflect compulsive stealing (kleptomania), an impulse control disorder characterised by recurrent theft that is not driven by material need or opportunistic motives.² Individuals with compulsive stealing (kleptomania) struggle to resist the urge to steal items, leading to social and legal consequences.² 

Compulsive stealing goes beyond childhood mischief, yet many people still think stealing is a failed moral or antisocial behaviour, so kleptomania is massively underdiagnosed.³ Therefore, individuals who commit compulsive stealing are usually referred for co-occurring mental health issues, e.g., anxiety or depression, rather than the stealing behaviour itself.³ Importantly, this stealing behaviour continues despite feelings of guilt or fear of arrest.³

Recognising the early signs of compulsive stealing is crucial. Timely intervention during childhood addresses not only the stealing behaviour but also treats any associated psychiatric conditions, preventing long-term consequences.

Signs of compulsive stealing in children

Although signs may vary between individuals, children who commit compulsive stealing show several common behavioural and emotional signs, including:

• Repetitive Stealing: Stealing occurs multiple times, with children often hoarding or returning stolen items⁴ 
• Secrecy and Denial: Children with compulsive stealing often deny stealing or avoid admitting to it, even when confronted. In many cases, they will only see clinical professionals after being mandated by legal consequences related to repeated stealing⁴
• Emotional Change: Children generally feel shame and guilt after stealing, although some children might feel satisfied (i.e. get an emotional “high”) if not caught. This may be due to abnormalities in the brain’s reward and impulse regulation systems⁴
• Low-Value Items: Unlike theft driven by need or desire, children with compulsive stealing mainly steal worthless objects, suggesting the act of stealing is more about an irresistible internal urge, not a genuine material need⁴
• Escalation of Stealing: Although not part of the official diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV), many children with compulsive stealing report a growing need to steal more expensive or riskier items over time to feel the same level of emotional relief or excitement they once did⁵
• Behavioural Withdrawal: When children attempt to stop stealing, they may experience frequent insomnia, agitation, and irritability that are similar to withdrawal symptoms in substance use disorders⁵

Individuals with compulsive stealing have no accomplices. ⁶ They can also usually acknowledge that their stealing behaviour is unethical. ⁶ It is also worth remembering that stealing is not driven by vengeance or anger, and is also not associated with any delusions or hallucinations.⁶

Risk factors and causes of compulsive stealing in children

Clear causes have not been defined, even though many biological and psychological models have been researched,⁷ but common causes and risk factors include: 

• Familial and Genetic Links: Studies show that compulsive stealing may run in families, particularly families with a history of alcohol problems.⁸ One study found that close relatives of individuals with compulsive stealing were more likely to struggle with alcoholism or to have other psychiatric disorders.⁸ However, no specific genes have been identified for compulsive stealing⁸
• Gender: Compulsive stealing is more common in people assigned female at birth (a sex ratio of 3:1, people assigned female at birth: people assigned male at birth)⁶
• Co-occurrence with other behavioural addictions: Individuals with eating disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder commonly display compulsive stealing, as well as overlapping with obsessive-compulsive disorder and anorexia nervosa⁹ 
• Dopamine and Medication-Linked Impulses: The D3 receptor in the ventral striatum, a brain area involved in reward and achievement, may lead to problems with impulse control, as certain dopamine agonists have a stronger effect on D3 receptors¹⁰ 
• This suggests that, in some cases, dopamine agonists can interfere with the ability to control urges.¹⁰ Therefore, the brain might be overly responsive to the sense of reward (in the case of compulsive stealing, it is the acquisition of an item without being caught), making it complicated for the individual to stop, even when they acknowledge their wrongdoing¹⁰
• Serotonergic Dysfunction: Serotonin plays a key role in controlling impulsive behaviours; research suggests that individuals with compulsive stealing and other impulse control disorders may have reduced levels of serotonin activity in the brain, which may contribute to their difficulty in resisting urges¹¹ 
• Low self-esteem linked to lack of positive reinforcement from parents and peers: Children who do not receive encouragement or praise from their parents and peers may develop low self-esteem.¹² In some cases, stealing can temporarily boost their sense of self-worth, as they may associate the act with gaining attention or validation, even if it’s for the wrong reasons¹³
• Peer pressure and social belonging: The desire to fit in or impress friends can lead some children to steal, especially if they want to imitate items their friends have.¹⁴ In these cases, stealing may serve as a way to cope with social insecurity or gain acceptance¹⁴

Several psychoanalytic theories proposed that childhood trauma related to abusive parents can result in lifelong compulsive stealing.¹⁵ Additionally, compulsive stealing has also been associated with higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.⁴ Close and compassionate monitoring is crucial, particularly when children exhibit signs of emotional distress or express thoughts of self-harm.

Management and intervention for compulsive stealing in children

The management and intervention of compulsive stealing usually involves a combination of psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological approaches, such as:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): CBT helps reduce the chance of children stealing by identifying what triggers them, adjusting how they respond to those triggers, and teaching more appropriate ways to resolve their desires. It also involves altering their surrounding environments to support positive behaviours as an alternative to stealing¹⁶
• Naltrexone (the opioid receptor): Naltrexone impacts the mesolimbic dopamine pathway that regulates impulse and pleasure control, so individuals with compulsive behaviours have reported weakened random urges and can go longer without relapsing after taking naltrexone¹⁷  
• Parental Support: As previously mentioned, trauma and neglectful parents may result in compulsive stealing in children,¹⁵ so parents are recommended to give children attention and affection to encourage honesty and boost their confidence¹⁸
• Play Therapy: Physical activities, such as exercising, can distract children from the desire to steal¹⁸

With early intervention, many children outgrow stealing behaviour and develop healthy emotional regulation and social skills. On the other hand, delayed or absent intervention may increase the risk of legal issues or antisocial behaviour in adolescence.

FAQs

What should I do if my child is caught stealing?

In general, parents should avoid publicly shaming a child for stealing because this can be traumatic to a child, worsening the behaviour over time.¹⁵ Instead, a more constructive approach involves addressing the issue privately and seeking support from a mental health professional, as effective therapies are available to help manage and reduce compulsive stealing.

Are there any adverse effects derived from naltrexone? 

Adverse effects are generally mild, but individuals may experience insomnia and immune-related low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), which is an extremely rare complication.¹⁹

What is the most important thing to know if I find that my child shows signs of compulsive stealing?

Firstly, finding the main cause of the compulsive stealing, e.g., trauma, mood disturbances or brain abnormalities, will allow you to find the appropriate intervention.¹⁸ For example, if a child steals items due to mood swings, CBT would be useful as CBT helps emotion control by acknowledging and replacing harmful negative desires with healthy alternatives.¹⁸

Summary

Compulsive stealing is an impulse control disorder characterised by repeated stealing of items without need. It is associated with psychological and neurological factors like trauma and low self-esteem. Children with compulsive stealing may feel shame while they steal, but in some cases, they may also experience withdrawal symptoms after they stop stealing.

Early signs include repetitive theft of low-value items, denial and escalation of stealing. Risk factors include family history, co-occurring impulsive disorders, abusive family, peer pressure, and trauma. It is worth remembering that even though children with compulsive stealing can recognise that they are wrong, they tend not to seek help unless legally required.

Interventions combine therapeutic and medical approaches. CBT is the most popular treatment to help children resist their urges. Medications (naltrexone) can also reduce urges by treating the brain’s reward system. Parental support and environmental adjustments are also crucial to support recovery. 

Children can recover from compulsive stealing by identifying early signs and receiving timely treatment. However, delayed recognition or inappropriate reaction to stealing, e.g., public shaming, may lead to more severe compulsive stealing, which can cause social and legal consequences in later life.