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Sex differences in shoplifting: results from a national sample
Nicolas Hoertel1, Caroline Dubertret, Jean-Pierre Schuster
1Service de Psychiatrie, Hôpital Louis Mourier, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Colombes, France. nico.hoertel@yahoo.fr
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
|August 2, 2012
Summary
This study reveals significant sex differences in the psychiatric factors associated with shoplifting. Women shoplifters show higher rates of substance use disorders and antisocial personality disorder compared to men.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Criminology
- Sociology
Background:
- Shoplifting is a common offense with complex underlying factors.
- Understanding the psychiatric correlates of shoplifting is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated sex-based differences in these correlates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in sociodemographics and psychiatric correlates of shoplifting in a US adult population.
- To identify specific psychiatric and addictive disorders associated with shoplifting, examining variations between men and women.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).
- Analyzed a nationally representative sample of US adults with a history of shoplifting.
- Conducted statistical analyses to compare psychiatric diagnoses between male and female shoplifters.
Main Results:
- Shoplifting was linked to various psychiatric and addictive disorders, with notable sex differences.
- Women shoplifters were more likely than men to have lifetime diagnoses of alcohol abuse/dependence, nicotine dependence, cannabis, amphetamine, cocaine, or inhalant use disorders, and antisocial personality disorder.
- Men shoplifters were more likely than women to have a lifetime diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder.
Conclusions:
- Shoplifting in women may represent a manifestation of impaired impulse control and externalizing spectrum disorders.
- Findings suggest distinct pathways for shoplifting behavior in men and women, impacting treatment strategies.
- Highlights the need for sex-specific approaches in understanding and addressing shoplifting.
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