Kleptomania – an obsessive, irresistible desire to commit petty theft of someone else’s property. In contrast to the banal criminal intention of becoming the owner of some valuable item, with this pathological dependence the subject is interested not only in mastering the thing: he is interested and inspired directly by the process of theft.
Kleptomania often debuts in childhood and adolescence: petty theft is a common phenomenon among very young children and among children of high school age. If children under 5 years of age acquire possession of other people's property due to immaturity of personality and incomplete formation of moral principles, then older kleptomaniac children commit theft due to the fact that their thinking is in the grip of uncontrollable mental dependence. This pathological passion for theft in children is characterized by the following circumstances:
- impulsive appearance of an urge to commit theft - the episode of theft is not planned in advance;
- an irresistible obsessive need to immediately satisfy one's abnormal cravings;
- extreme psycho-emotional tension before the upcoming theft;
- anticipation of pleasure from the process of theft;
- lack of focus on any specific thing - absolutely any objects can become the object of theft
- a feeling of relief and satisfaction after committing a criminal act.
An episode of kleptomania in children most often occurs against the background of a depressed state of mind, when the child has a gloomy mood and a feeling of hopelessness. Stealing an object for a kleptomaniac child is the only possible option for a feeling of euphoria and subsequent inner peace.
Kleptomania in children is a signal indicating that the child is experiencing some kind of torment and requires close attention and care from adults. If a child shows signs of addiction, parents should not panic - they should act consistently and thoughtfully, coordinating their educational strategy with an experienced psychologist.
Children's kleptomania: causes
Children's kleptomania develops on the basis of the child's psychological distress, which is aggravated by the inability to control one's own desires and ignorance of what healthy ways to achieve satisfaction. Let us describe the common causes of kleptomania in children in more detail.
The desire to possess something that belongs to other people
Even if children are well aware that it is immoral and criminal to misappropriate or steal other people's property, kleptomaniacs cannot resist their uncontrollable impulses. In such a situation, the guys always try to find a logical explanation for their actions: they can argue that others have a lot of such goods, and the loss of one unit will not be some kind of tragic event.
Very often, children are driven to steal by an irresistible thirst to try something new and unusual, for example: a chocolate bar in a bright sparkling cover. Teenagers may justify their criminal acts by the fact that they do not have enough pocket money, although in fact the kleptomaniac’s wallet may contain a decent amount of cash, issued by caring parents.
Parental attention deficit
Insufficient emotional contact with ancestors is a common cause of kleptomania in children. A child who does not receive the required “portion” of parental attention and love tries to compensate for the deficit in emotional response.
One of the ways of compensation for a small person is an unconscious craving for theft. In such a situation, the child does not understand at all and is not aware of the reason why he stole some small thing that he did not need at all.
The factor of attention deficit, which triggers the onset of childhood kleptomania, is most often observed in quite wealthy families, where the child receives a decent amount of money for current needs. However, the adult members of such a wealthy family live their own lives, the purpose of which is to earn money and increase capital. They simply do not have time for full communication with their offspring. Therefore, kleptomania in children is often a kind of cry for help, a specific request from the child to his parents to pay attention to him.
Another factor that initiates the development of a pathological passion for theft is growing up in a dysfunctional family. The baby, who daily observes scandals and quarrels between his parents, unconsciously tries to neutralize the conflict atmosphere. To distract the attention of the ancestors from sorting out the relationship, the baby begins to commit thefts.
The desire for self-affirmation among peers
Finding one's place in a children's group, the need to assert oneself among peers is a common cause of kleptomania. With the help of theft, a child tries to raise self-esteem, gain authority among peers, and establish strong social contacts. This factor in the development of addiction often works in children who are considered “black sheep” or in overly shy and indecisive children.
In such a situation, thefts are most often committed from one’s own home: the child takes out of the apartment not only money, but also things that he can give to friends with the goal of being friends with him. Often the boy steals delicious food and treats the children he knows to the delicacy, thus trying to win recognition from them.
The need to demonstrate one's “maturity”
At high school age, children often commit thefts, guided by a subconscious desire to prove their “maturity” and “coolness.” In some teenage groups, a successfully completed crime is a kind of measure of agility, ingenuity, and dexterity. Sometimes kleptomania develops in children who cannot fit into the company of friends in healthy ways: there is a desire to steal as the only available option in order to communicate with other teenagers and be accepted into the team.
Features of the personal constitution in combination with mental disorders
Circumstances that very often lead to the formation of kleptomania in children are health status and personality traits. The risk of becoming a kleptomaniac is present in guys who have:
- serious mental disorders, for example: mental retardation;
- problems of the endocrinological spectrum;
- organic diseases of the central nervous system and brain.
Persons with a choleric temperament and an anxious personality type are at risk of becoming a victim of kleptomania. Often, a pathological passion for theft debuts against the background of neurotic-level pathologies, after experiencing a traumatic situation (read about psychological trauma in childhood).
Failure to understand that even petty theft is a crime
Another probable cause of kleptomania is immaturity and defective personality, lack of moral principles and positive moral qualities as a result of improper upbringing of the child. When a child does not have a strict attitude that theft is a criminal act that requires punishment, the child uses theft as an easy way to get pleasure.
He believes that he does not steal other people's money and things, but simply takes them. At the same time, the process of theft gives the child pleasure and peace from the fact that he was able to fulfill his desire to take possession of some object. That is, in fact, a kleptomaniac child cannot separate the concepts of “I want” and “I can”, is not able to resist his desires, and cannot control his behavior.
Symptoms
Basically, people with kleptomania do not benefit from theft. They take items that are unusable or not very valuable. This could be office supplies, figurines, chocolates, etc. In the process of appropriating someone else's property, a kleptomaniac experiences positive emotions. But then his feeling of guilt begins to become actualized; he may be ashamed of his action when he has already committed it.
Researchers have not yet identified a clear clinical picture (characteristic symptoms) of such a disorder as kleptomania. Patients are afraid to take part in research, which makes collecting materials difficult. Kleptomaniacs are characterized by the following characteristics:
- a periodically arising impulse to appropriate something, and the kleptomaniac tries to stop it on his own, but these suppressions are not successful (at the same time, the kleptomaniac does not feel a great need for the stolen thing and does not try to make money on it in one way or another)
- before the act of theft, pleasant sensations (joy, anticipation) gradually become stronger
- after the theft there is a feeling of satisfaction
- The motives for stealing from kleptomaniacs are never irritation, anger or the desire to take revenge on the person who owns the item.
- Kleptomaniacs are not diagnosed with schizophrenia
- Kleptomaniacs never have assistants (otherwise this is a theft with intent, pre-planned)
People with this mental disorder do not steal every day, because the process itself is very difficult for the psyche. Western scientists claim that the pleasure obtained from theft satisfies the kleptomaniac for some time. But sooner or later the satisfaction dries up, and again the person begins to appropriate other people's things.
There are three types of kleptomania:
- rare thefts with long periods of “calm”
- long periods of committing thefts with short breaks for mental recovery
- chronic kleptomania
Childhood kleptomania: signs
Even if a child tries with all his might to disguise his passion for theft, the presence of kleptomania does not remain invisible to others. Parents should be attentive to any changes in their offspring’s behavior and, at the first signs of addiction, contact a child psychologist. The development of kleptomania may be indicated by:
- the appearance of other people's things in the house;
- occurrence of cash;
- loss of valuable items from the home;
- reduction of money in the parents’ wallet;
- isolation, depressed state of the child;
- refusal to communicate with peers;
- excessive aggressiveness, irritability, conflict;
- regular mood swings;
- sleep problems, insomnia;
- worsening appetite, refusal to eat, or, conversely, excessive gluttony.
Theories of development of deviance
Moms and dads need to understand the reasons that motivate them to commit thefts. A heart-to-heart conversation is necessary, but it is unlikely to yield good results. The young kleptomaniac himself commits criminal acts unconsciously, at the level of unbridled instinct, and therefore cannot explain or overcome his addiction. Parents of a minor suffering from kleptomania often cannot do without involving a competent psychologist in searching for the reasons for what is happening. However, you can try to discuss the problem with your family, looking in turn at all the mechanisms of development of childhood kleptomania known to psychologists.
The dominant theory of the formation of a painful craving for theft is the assumption of its hormonal origin.
Most scientists and practicing psychologists are confident that kleptomania in children, adolescents and adults, like any other addiction, develops due to a certain physiological predisposition of the body to it. Children's kleptomania is no different from adults for physiological reasons.
The very process of secretly taking possession of someone else’s causes a large surge of hormones, of several types at once. Here the fears of being caught and punished, the pleasure of courage and agility, satisfaction from the process of appropriation, which increases self-esteem and elevates one above society, and a feeling of euphoria upon a successful outcome are intertwined. A personality that is not yet fully formed, having felt hitherto unfamiliar powerful positive reactions from the body, will soon want their repetitions. Mania develops quickly and becomes very difficult to get rid of.
Psychologists recommend that parents try natural hormone therapy as one of the ways to treat kleptomania in children. The child must learn to understand his body, discover that extreme sensations, feelings of joy, satisfaction and other emotions can be obtained in other ways. It is necessary to keep kleptomaniac children occupied with sports, travel, and more often pamper them with entertainment at attractions and water parks. Adults need to give the child more independence, trust him to make everyday purchases, and make him responsible for decorating the house for the holidays.
It will be great to keep your child busy with horse riding. Here communication with the horse will have a beneficial effect, and fears will have to be overcome, and the joy of learning and discovering new things will definitely come.
Another theory about the reasons for the development of kleptomania in children is based on the processing of statistical data. Figures show that about half of the patients who turned to medical specialists for help in getting rid of the craving for theft already had serious psychological problems. Domestic violence, bullying from other children, or simply bad relationships with others can trigger the emergence of kleptomaniac tendencies. It is necessary to find out whether the child has recently experienced severe stress, then first of all it is necessary to treat him.
Contact a specialist: treatment regimen
Kleptomania must be treated with complex methods. Both psychotherapy and medications are used. At the same time, a single remedy for kleptomania has not yet been developed, and each patient must be approached individually.
Among psychological methods, cognitive-behavioral methods stand out. They allow you to change negative thoughts to brighter, more positive ones. The following method is also used: the specialist puts the patient into a psychological state in which he imagines himself exposed at the time of the theft.
Medicines used include anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers.
When treating kleptomania in children, you should not scold them or accuse them of stealing. The fight against the disease should be done gently, because it is still a disease, and not just a bad character trait. If a child stole a toy, it would be wisest to give him the same one. During treatment, all provoking factors should be eliminated: do not leave money and jewelry in a visible place; provide the child with personal belongings for which he himself is responsible.
When treating kleptomania, much depends on the details of the patient's life; for example, what kind of relationship he has with loved ones.
You can use some relaxation techniques. It is important for the patient to exclude the possibility of getting into stressful situations and maintain sufficient physical activity.
Signs of kleptomania, how to recognize the disease
Who is a kleptomaniac? This is a well-educated person with good income and no financial difficulties. Nevertheless, this person steals small things from a store or from friends, even if he understands that he will get caught. Kleptomania is a disease, not a banal theft of money. According to statistics, most kleptomaniacs have higher education, wealth, and they have no reason to steal.
▪️ Skeptics claim that kleptomania does not exist and this disorder was invented to justify thieves, but this is far from true. The exact reasons why kleptomania develops are unknown, but there are several assumptions.
▪️ According to one version, kleptomania manifests itself as a result of an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the human brain. The body lacks the hormone serotonin and compensates for this by increasing the hormone dopamine. Dopamine, in turn, is not produced by itself, and this process is controlled by adrenaline, which kleptomaniacs artificially increase through theft. After all, this is a risk, a danger, and, accordingly, the production of adrenaline, the release of which brings the hormonal levels back to normal.
▪️ This is one of the main versions, but it is not the only one. Many people have problems with hormones, but they do not become kleptomaniacs. Kleptomania should not be viewed solely as a symptom of hormonal imbalance. There are other related factors that can trigger the disorder.
Kleptomania in adults
✔️ The craving for theft can arise suddenly. In most cases, kleptomania appears in women aged 30–50 years, during pregnancy, menopause or menstruation.
✔️ Since the exact causes of the disorder have not been identified, one of the possible causes is called endocrine system disorders and nervous tension (stress).
✔️ Attacks may occur rarely, and a person commits petty thefts once a year throughout his life. It's not dangerous until he gets caught.
✔️ In some cases, an adult and responsible person can resist attacks for a long time, but then is forced to commit a whole series of thefts in order to restore his psycho-emotional state and calm down again for a long time.
✔️ In severe cases, kleptomania develops into kleptolongia, in which the kleptomaniac receives sexual satisfaction from theft. In such cases, he commits thefts at the call of his body, and the diagnosis may be complicated by fetishism. Passion for inanimate objects overpowers moral principles and the kleptomaniac fetishist experiences pleasure, even orgasm, from taking possession of the object of his passion. During an attack, the kleptomaniac loses shame, moral barriers and fear of being caught. This is the most severe form of the disorder and develops from ordinary kleptomania.
The main symptoms of kleptomania
Of all the symptoms of kleptomania, it is customary to distinguish the obligatory “triad”
:
- Compulsive need to commit thefts.
- Getting pleasure from the action done.
- The appearance of a feeling of guilt some time after the act has been committed.
Kleptomania is cyclical. First there is tension; the patient ceases to enjoy all other activities, and the feeling of anxiety and restlessness increases. At the next stage, the patient commits an act of theft. The tension is replaced by an equally tangible relaxation and a feeling of satisfaction. At the next stage, relaxation and satisfaction disappear and are replaced by a feeling of guilt. Since the majority of kleptomaniacs are law-abiding people who live in accordance with public moral norms, the increasing feeling of guilt also gives rise to a feeling of anxiety and restlessness; Insomnia and a feeling of general internal tension increase. This is the beginning of a new cycle of kleptomania.
A patient suffering from kleptomania most often carries out his thefts in large shopping centers. But not always. Sometimes he steals from friends, acquaintances, and employees. Often an item may be so worthless that a kleptomaniac immediately throws it away. He may also try to give it to someone or return it to its place.
Most often, a patient suffering from kleptomania steals cosmetics, personal hygiene items (hairpins, combs, soap, etc.), stationery, clothing, food, especially sweets. Most often these are small things.
Kleptomania is also fraught with complications. A constant feeling of anxiety can give rise to depression, anxiety disorders, and social isolation. The patient develops suicidal thoughts, which in some cases can be realized. In addition to mental and psychological consequences, there are also legal consequences: administrative punishment, the need to compensate for damage, criminal record, compulsory treatment.
