Stealing
What Teachers Need to Know
About Students Who Steal
Are they trying to “steal” your love?
By: Keri Kastner
Learner Objectives
Participants in this seminar will be able to:
 Name the Attention-Deficit and Disruptive Behavior
Disorders
 Describe conduct disorder and its behaviors
 Define stealing as a behavior associated with conduct
disorder
 Identify ways to recognize a child that steals due to
conduct disorder
 State the biological, school, and family factors that
contribute to stealing
 Identify the legal safeguards in PA in terms of a child
with conduct disorder
 Describe ways in which schools can help
 Identify websites that offer more information
DSM-IV-TR Attention-Deficit and
Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Conduct Disorder
 Oppositional Defiant Disorder
 Attention Deficit Disorder
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Conduct Disorder
As listed in the DSM-IV-TR
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“A repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic
rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are
violated, as manifested by the presence of three (or more) of the
following criteria in the past 12 months, with at least one criterion
present in the past 6 months.”
Types of Behaviors:
 Aggression to people
 Aggression to animals
 Destruction of property
 Deceitfulness or theft
 Serious violations of rules
American Psychiatric Association 2000. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edition, text revision. Washington, DC: American
Psychiatric Press, Inc.
Definition
Stealing
“In the criminal law, theft (also known as stealing)
is the illegal taking of another person's property
without that person's freely-given consent. As a
term, it is used as shorthand for all major
crimes against property.”
(2007). Wikipedia. Retrieved October 20, 2007, from Theft Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft
Glossary of Terms
Attention-Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders
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CD - Conduct Disorder
ODD - Oppositional Defiant Disorder
ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder
Conduct Disorder
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DBD - Disruptive Behavior Disorder
Stealing
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Theft
Burglary
Shoplifting
Prevalence
Conduct Disorder
 Estimated to occur in 4% to 10% of children
 Prevalent in boys
 Accurate number of cases unknown
 Most females exhibit “feminine” type antisocial
behavior
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Lying
Running away
Substance abuse
Most males exhibit “masculine” type antisocial behavior
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Vandalism
Fighting
Stealing
How To Identify The Problem
Deceitfulness or theft
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Has broken into someone else’s house,
building, or car
Often lies to obtain goods or favors or to
avoid obligations (i.e., “cons” others)
Has stolen items of nontrivial value without
confronting a victim (e.g., shoplifting, but without
breaking and entering; forgery)
American Psychiatric Association 2000. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edition, text revision. Washington, DC: American
Psychiatric Press, Inc.
Biological Factors
Neurological dysregulation
 Child’s temperament
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 Predictability

of response
Cognitions
 Deficits
in social problem solving
School Factors
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Low intellectual functioning
Low academic achievement
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Reading disabilities
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Physical attributes of the school
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28 months behind peers
Teacher availability
Teacher’s praise
Emphasis on individual responsibility
Emphasis on academic work
Student teacher ratio
Child seen as dishonest
Poor peer relations
Kauffman, J.M. (2005). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth, 8th Edition.
Columbus, Ohio: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall Publishing Company.
Family and Cultural Factors
Maternal depression
 Parental alcoholism
 Antisocial behavior in mother or father
 Insular mothers
 Divorce
 Poverty
 High crime neighborhoods
 Stress
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Stealing At Home?
Stealing most often occurs outside of the home
 Normally disturbs community, not the home
 Parents blame others
for missing items
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Kauffman, J.M. (2005). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth, 8th Edition.
Columbus, Ohio: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall Publishing Company.
Legal Safeguards in PA
Chapter 14
Under Chapter 14, a child diagnosed with
conduct disorder may receive necessary
support from the district which will afford the
student the
opportunity to
participate in
and benefit from
educational
programs in his
or her school.
What Can You Do?
Meet with student’s family
 Operationally define stealing
 Meet with school principal & child’s team
 List class items that go missing
 Develop consequences for all acts of
stealing
 Initiate a behavioral anti-stealing program
consistent with family program

What To Avoid

Illegal search and seizure
 Child

may feel threatened
Positive reinforcements
 Child
may have stolen items that are unknown to
anyone else
 No way of knowing if a child is being honest

False accusations
 Child
may not have stolen
 Child looses trust
Information For Parents
What parents can do:
 Provide structure and support
 Provide tight supervision
 Set limits and rules
 Use time outs and consistently enforce
 Be aware of child’s possessions
 Be open about their feelings; speak with other
parents that may be dealing with similar
difficulties. Join a support group or online
forum such as:
www.conductdisorders.com
For more information, please refer to parent brochure
Where To Get Help
Where to get help in Pittsburgh:
Western Psychiatric Institute &Clinic
(412) 624-1000 or 1-877-624-4100
3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
http://wpic.com/ChildAdolescentSvcs.htm
“For more than 50 years, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) has
been a national leader in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of mental
health and addictive disorders. As part of UPMC, WPIC not only provides the
most comprehensive range of behavioral health services available today, but
is also shaping tomorrow’s behavioral health care through clinical innovation,
research, and education.”
Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic.(2007). Child and Adolescent Services. Retrieved September 25, 2007 from
http://wpic.upmc.com/ChildAdolescentSvcs.htm
More Help
Mercy Behavioral Health
North
(412) 323-4500
412 East Commons, Pittsburgh PA 15212
South
(412) 488-4040
2100 Wharton St., Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
http://www.mercybehavioral.org
“Mercy Behavioral Health (MBH) serves the Greater Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania)
region by providing a full continuum of recovery-oriented, community-based mental
health, mental retardation, and drug/alcohol treatment and prevention services.
From locations in many neighborhoods throughout Allegheny County, we work to
help people improve their quality of life so they will thrive in their communities. MBH
staff is also trained to meet the unique needs of people with more than one
diagnosis (such as mental illness and addiction, or mental retardation and mental
illness).”
Mercy. Mercy Behavioral Health. (n.d.). Conduct Disorder in Children and Adolescents.
http://www.mercybehavioral.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=521&cn=37
Retrieved September 25, 2007 from
National Resources
National Resources:
 SAMHSA's National Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Center
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov
 American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry
www.aacap.org
 National Institute of Mental Health
www.nimh.nih.gov
Case Study
Thirteen (2003)
Questions For Case Study #1
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What is going on in the scene?
Do you think the character exhibited
signs of stealing as associated with
conduct disorder?
Do you think this child stole because
she has a conduct disorder or other
community-based factors?
Discuss in your group what other
thoughts or questions come to mind
when watching this movie clip.
Case Study
Travis, a fifteen year old boy, is a sophomore at a local public high school. He is the
youngest of three children and lives in an apartment with his sister, brother and
mother. Travis’s mom works two jobs to keep the family together. Often times, Travis
finds himself alone and without parental supervision in that both his brother and sister
have after school jobs. Travis’s mother harbors resentment for her children and does
not show any form of attachment towards them since their father walked out on them
10 years ago. Obviously, Travis has no accountability or stability in his home life. He
is often alone and isolated from any adult interaction, affection, communication and
supervision.
One evening, Travis’s mother receives a phone call from his high school principal. She
advised his mother that many items belonging to other students have been reported
missing from locker rooms, for example, watches, expensive tennis shoes, coats, hats,
backpacks and money. The principal went on to say that Travis was the student
accused of taking these items. Not only has he been seen walking around the school
wearing many of the missing items, another student in the gym class had witnessed
Travis taking items.
Questions for Case Study #2
From what you learned in this
presentation, how do you think the
mother will respond to the principal’s
phone call?
 If you were this child’s teacher, what
would be the first step in helping this
family?
 How would you specifically help this child
in school?
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References
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Allegheny County Department of Human Services. (2006-2007). Where to Call Directory of Mental
health and Drug and Alcohol Services. Retrieved on September 15, 2007 from
http://www.alleghenycounty.us/uploadedFiles/DHS/About_DHS/Publications/
Resource_Guides/OBHWheretoCall.pdf.
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (2007).Facts for Families, Children who Steal.
retrieved on September 25, 2007 from
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_who_steal.
American Psychiatric Association 2000. (DSM-IV-TR) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental d
disorders, 4th edition, text revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc. As
stated by the DSM-IV-TR.
Chandler, J, MD, FRCPC. (n.d.). Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) In children
and adolescents: diagnosis and treatment. Retrieved on September 25, 2007, from
http://www.klis.com/chandler/pamphlet/oddcd/oddcdpamphlet.htm.
Conduct Disorders, a Soft Place to Land for the Battle Weary Parents. (n.d.). Retrieved on September 25, 2007,
from http://www.conductdisorders.com.
Duff, Jacques (2005). Disruptive behaviors and conduct disorder. Retrieved on October 25, 2007, from
disruptive Behavior Disorders Web site: http://www.adhd.com.au/conduct.html
Kauffman, J.M. (2005). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth, 8th Edition.
Columbus, Ohio: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall Publishing Company.
Mercy. Mercy Behavioral Health. (n.d.). Conduct Disorder in Children and Adolescents. Retrieved on
September 25, 2007 from http://www.mercybehavioral.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc &id=521&cn=37
Thirteen. Fox Searchlight Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. (n.d.). Conduct Disorder. Retrieved on September 23, 2007 from
ttp://www.upmc.com/HealthManagement/ManagingYourHealth
HealthReference/Diseases/?chunkiid=222865
Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic.(2007). Child and Adolescent Services. Retrieved September 25,
2007 from http://wpic.upmc.com/ChildAdolescentSvcs.htm
(2007). Wikipedia. Retrieved October 20, 2007, from Theft Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft
Contact Information
Keri Ann Kastner
Kastnerkeri@hotmail.com
626 Driftwood Drive
Pittsburgh, Pa 15238