NCJ Number
154223
Journal
Journal of Security Administration Volume: 17 Issue: 2 Dated: (December 1994) Pages: 11-20
Date Published
1995
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study looked at both the conception of shoplifting as a game and the related idea of team play using data obtained from case reports of department store shoplifting incidents and from interviews with loss prevention personnel.
Abstract
The 48 case reports of shoplifting incidents in a midwestern city of 80,000 yielded 55 shoplifters; 38 (69 percent) were male and 17 (31 percent) were female. Shoplifting declined with age among males; 61 percent of shoplifters were between 11 and 17 years of age. Female shoplifters were older, with 76 percent ranging between 18 and 29 years of age. In the case of both males and females, however, shoplifting declined significantly after the age of 22. Juvenile shoplifters and those 30 years of age and older were nearly all male. Most shoplifters resided in lower and working class neighborhoods. The merchandise shoplifted was relatively inexpensive. The most expensive items included an electric razor, a walkman, an electric drill, and a telephone. The shoplifting method used in most cases was to conceal merchandise in clothing, purses, or shopping bags. Evidence of team play in shoplifting incidents was provided by case reports and interviews with loss prevention personnel. Companions served as lookouts for store security and also served as blockers to prevent the observation of merchandise concealment. With shoplifting viewed as a game, winning for the shoplifter involved escaping undetected from the store with merchandise, and shoplifters won much more often than they lost. 15 references and 3 tables