Psychological and psychiatric aspects of shoplifting

This paper reviews the relevant psychological, criminological, and psychiatric literature on shoplifting, with particular emphasis on implications for clinical issues and involvement. The paper provides a conceptual framework for working with shoplifters and highlights the need for careful assessment before treatment is embarked upon. It is emphasized that shoplifting is not a unitary category either in terms of motives or clinical problems and no one model can adequately explain the phenomenon.