Why They Steal

Paper Summary:

This paper summarizes the research of E. R. Taylor, J. Kelly, S. Valescu, and G.S. Reynolds on the childhood experiences that are precursors to violent, armed robberies in adulthood. The paper looks at the personal characteristics of armed robbers and discusses the role of substance abuse in robberies. The paper examines the strategies of banks in assisting law enforcement in capturing armed robbers. The paper points out that while these methods are effective in intercepting and ideally preventing armed robberies, early interventions that identify at risk youth and establish effective preventative strategies have greater potential in creating long term, positive change.

From the Paper:

"Taylor, Kelly, Valescu, and Reynolds (2001) provide a thorough analysis of precursors to violent, armed robberies in adulthood. They explore specific childhood experiences linked to violent crime-prone behaviors, and state that early childhood and adolescent stealing, and aggression, are directly linked to violent crimes in adulthood, including robberies. Very young chronic stealing prior to age 8, is symptomatic of conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). By age 12, many of these troubled children have already been arrested on theft and assault charges. Conduct disordered youth, particularly those who steal in early life, engage in armed robberies at an earlier age than most criminals (Taylor, Kelly, Valescu, & Reynolds; 2001)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Gross, B. (2007). When crime pays. Forensic Examiner, 16(2), 54-58.
• McCoy, H. V. (2002). Robbing drug dealers: Violence beyond the law. Contemporary Sociology,31(2), p218.
• O'Sullivan, O. (2005). Robberies are up, robberies are down. Why is anyone's guess. AmericanBankers Association, ABA Banking Journal, 97(2), 9-11.
• Pogarsky, G., Kim, K., & Paternoster, R. (2005). Perceptual change in the National Youth Survey: Lessons for Deterrence Theory and offender decision-making. Justice Quarterly,22(1), 1-29.
• Taylor, E. R., Kelly, J., Valescu, S., & Reynolds, G. S. (2001). Is stealing a gateway crime?. Community Mental Health Journal, 37(4), 347-359.

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