essay about stealing at school

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Ethics in Action: What Teachers Can Do When Their Students Are Stealing

Apr 13, 2022

Debra Matell Cohen, Ed.D.

John Winthrop Wright Director of Ethical Education

Character.org

Approximately 66% of adults who acknowledge stealing during their lifetime reported beginning before age 15, including stealing in school. T his number does not include the common example of  students who realize in July that they didn’t return a book to the school library before the end of the school year. Stealing in schools is intentionally taking what belongs to someone else without permission. This could be theft of property from another student, a faculty member, or from the school itself. And although plagiarism is technically the theft of another’s work, I’ll discuss student plagiarism in our next series on cheating.

So, what can teachers do when they encounter students stealing? Here’s what I recommend:

1. Remain calm . You can’t help the student if your emotions are controlling you. Keep your emotions in check. Leah Davies, M.Ed. reminds educators it’s important to show your disapproval in a straightforward manner.

2. Ask the student why . Find the opportunity to speak privately with the student. Find out why she decided to steal. Ask open-ended questions. Hear her out. Dr. Kenneth Shore points out it’s important to keep the information confidential in order to maintain the student’s privacy and prevent her from being shunned by fellow students.

3. Create the teaching moment . In a developmentally-appropriate way, talk to the students about why stealing is wrong. I also encourage you to weave into your conversation how stealing conflicts with the core values of the school. 

4. Discuss consequences, including restitution . Involve the student in figuring out how he can best return the item without being watched or shamed. You should also share with the student that you will do everything you can to ensure that his fellow students do not find out that he has stolen something. Your discussion of consequences should be specific without lecturing or shaming.

5. Involve others if the behavior persists . You should speak to the school principal (and parents) if the student is repeatedly stealing. 

So, what can teachers do to help prevent stealing in schools? The most important step is to ensure that the entire school reinforces the importance of honesty and why taking someone else’s property is wrong. Teachers should reinforce this message not only in their classrooms but also during Open House and Back to School Nights. Teachers can also suggest to parents that they discourage their children from bringing a valuable item to school (or at least the item should have the child’s name on it). Guidance counselors and other school leaders should also emphasize why stealing is wrong. Some schools enlist the help of a local police officer to help students better understand why stealing is a crime. Finally, many schools find ways to recognize students for their honest behavior (especially when no one was watching).

Teachers have a special role in helping students develop habits of honesty that will last a lifetime. Our goal is not simply to explain to students the negative consequences of stealing, but to inspire students to be honest as part of their character – no matter where they go or what they do in life.

Read the previous part of this series, Why Do Kids Lie?  and sign up to receive the “Ethics in Action” blog and webinar series in your Inbox. Be sure to subscribe to receive Parts 4 and 5 in the Why Do Kids Steal? series:

Part 4: What Workplace Leaders Can Do When Their Employees are Stealing Part 5: Webinar: An Interview with an Expert on Why People Steal

Following this part of our series, we will also explore Why Do Kids Cheat?

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Consistency

It’s easy to post a list of core values on the refrigerator. It’s much more difficult for parents to be consistent. Consistency lets children know what to expect and what is expected of them. Of course, children will push boundaries  but inconsistency from parents confuses children. 

Everyone involved in your child’s development are critical to modeling and upholding core values. Parents need to work with these important role models to foster the importance of doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, and for the right reasons.

Parents need to commit to model and reinforce to their children the core values and character strengths that mean the most to them. They also need to be creative and offer meaningful experiences that illuminate how important these character strengths are to the family’s core values. 

Conversations

We know “We need to talk” freaks kids out, but too often parents avoid having conversations about character, especially as children get older. While it may not be easy to talk sometimes, we know from the research that parents who avoid talking to their children about serious matters quickly lose trust and connection.

Celebration

Parents need to find ways for their children to be active participants in their own character growth. Optimal character development occurs when children begin to make self-motivated commitments to consistently practice a core value (e.g. “I want to be the kind of person who is always honest and shows up on time.”) Parents need to celebrate these moments to shape and define individual character. 

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Stealing among High School Students: Prevalence and Clinical Correlates

Jon e. grant.

Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN

Marc N. Potenza

Departments of Psychiatry and Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin

Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

Dana A. Cavallo

Rani a. desai.

Although stealing among adolescents appears to be fairly common, an assessment of adolescent stealing and its relationship to other behaviors and health issues is incompletely understood. A large sample of high school students (n=3999) was examined using a self-report survey with 153 questions concerning demographic characteristics, stealing behaviors, other health behaviors including substance use, and functioning variables such as grades and violent behavior. The overall prevalence of stealing was 15.2% (95%CI: 14.8–17.0). Twenty-nine (0.72%) students endorsed symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of DSM-IV kleptomania. Poor grades, alcohol and drug use, regular smoking, sadness and hopelessness, and other antisocial behaviors were all significantly (p<.05) associated with any stealing behavior. Stealing appears fairly common among high school students and is associated with a range of potentially addictive and antisocial behaviors. Significant distress and loss of control over this behavior suggests that stealing often has significant associated morbidity.

INTRODUCTION

The lifetime prevalence of stealing appears fairly high. A recent, large epidemiological study of adults found that 11.3% of the general population admitted to having shoplifted in their lifetimes. 1 This finding is consistent with estimates by the National Association of Shoplifting Prevention that 1 in 11 (9.1%) people have shoplifted during their lifetime. 2 Stealing in adults has been associated with other antisocial behaviors, psychiatric comorbidity (e.g., substance use disorders, pathological gambling, and bipolar disorder), and impaired psychosocial functioning. 1 Stealing appears to start generally in childhood or adolescence, with approximately 66% of individuals who reported lifetime stealing beginning before age 15 years. 1

Despite the early age of onset of stealing, as well as the significant adult morbidity associated with this behavior, stealing among adolescents has historically received relatively little attention from clinicians and researchers. Limited research suggests that adolescents who steal have impairments in problem-solving skills and a cognitive bias toward inappropriate solutions to problems. 3 Other research suggests that parent-child difficulties, school failure, and negative peer influences underlie adolescent stealing. 4

Although stealing may be fairly common, it is unclear how many adolescents who steal suffer from kleptomania. Kleptomania, characterized by a diminished ability to resist recurrent impulses to steal objects that are not needed for their monetary or personal use, has been relatively understudied across the lifespan and particularly in adolescents with propensities for stealing. 5 In the present study, we assessed a large sample of public high school students regarding stealing behaviors. Although previous research suggests that stealing and antisocial behaviors are linked, 1 , 6 no study has systematically examined the relationship of stealing to a range of behaviors and health functioning. Given the incomplete data on the co-occurrence of stealing and other variables among young people, the purpose of this study was to fill these gaps in knowledge. Specifically, we sought to: 1) examine the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of different severity levels of stealing in adolescents; 2) investigate health correlates in high school students who steal; and 3) examine the different severity levels and clinical characteristics of stealing and determine differences in students whose stealing merits the diagnosis of kleptomania. Recognizing possible differences in stealing severity among adolescents may have clinical and health implications. It is also important to recognize associations between stealing and health variables as identifying and treating the stealing behavior may significantly improve the prognosis of other behaviors.

Study Procedures and Sampling

The study procedure has been previously described in detail. 7 In summary, the study team mailed invitation letters to all public four-year and non-vocational or special education high schools in the state of Connecticut. These letters were followed by phone calls to all principals of schools receiving a letter to assess the school’s interest in participating in the survey. In order to encourage participation, all schools were offered a report following data collection that outlined the prevalence of stealing and other health behaviors in that school. Schools that expressed an interest were contacted to begin the process of obtaining permission from school boards and/or school system superintendents, if this was needed.

In addition, targeted contacts were made to schools that were in geographically underrepresented areas to ensure that the sample was representative of the state. The final survey therefore contains schools from each geographical region of the state of Connecticut, and it contains schools from each of the three tiers of the state’s district reference groups (DRGs) (i.e. groupings of schools based on the socioeconomic status of the families in the school district). Sampling from each of the three tiers of the DRGs was intended to create a more socioeconomically representative sample. Although this was not a random sample of public high school students in Connecticut, the sample obtained in this study is similar in demographics to the sample of Connecticut residents enumerated in the 2000, census ages 14–18. 8

Once permission was obtained from the necessary parties in each school, letters were sent through the school to parents informing them about the study and outlining the procedure by which they could deny permission for their child to participate in the survey if they wished. In most cases, parents were instructed to call the main office of their child’s high school to deny permission for their child’s participation. From these phone calls, a list of students who were not eligible to participate was compiled for reference on the survey administration day. If no message was received from a parent, parental permission was assumed. These procedures were approved by all participating schools and by the Institutional Review Board of the Yale University School of Medicine.

In most cases, the entire student body was targeted for administration of the survey. Some schools conducted an assembly where surveys were administered, while others had students complete the survey in every health or English class throughout the day. In each case, the school was visited on a single day by a number of research staff who explained the study, distributed the surveys, answered questions, and collected the surveys.

Students were told that participation was voluntary and that they could refuse to complete the survey if they wished, and were also reminded to keep surveys anonymous by not writing their name or other identifying information anywhere on the survey. Students were given a pen for participating. If a student was not eligible to participate because a parent had denied permission, or personally declined to participate, this student was allowed to work on schoolwork while the other students completed the survey. The refusal rate was under 1%.

The survey consisted of 153 questions concerning demographic characteristics, stealing behavior, other health behaviors including substance use, and functioning variables such as grades and violent behavior.

Stealing behavior was assessed by asking how many times the person stole from stores or people in a typical week. Possible answers to this were: “never,” “less than 7 times,” “7 to 14 times,” “15–20 times,” and “21 or more times”. Those who reported any stealing were then asked 6 additional questions: (1) “Have you ever tried to cut back on stealing things?” (2) “Has a family member ever expressed concern about the amount of time you spend stealing things?” (3) “Have you ever missed school, work or other important social activities because you were stealing?” (4) “Do you think you have a problem with excessive stealing?” (5) “Have you ever experienced an irresistible urge or uncontrollable need to steal things?” and (6) “Have you ever experienced a growing tension or anxiety that can only be relieved by stealing?” Three of the questions were based on the Minnesota Impulse Disorders Interview, a valid and reliable screen for adolescent kleptomania, 9 and reflect DSM-IV criteria for kleptomania: Trying to cut back on stealing and an irresistible urge to steal reflect Criterion A; growing tension or anxiety that is only relieved by stealing mirrors both Criteria B and C. 5 Therefore, students who endorsed all three of these questions were placed in the kleptomania group, while other respondents who reported stealing but did not endorse all three symptoms were placed in the non-kleptomania stealing group.

Demographics included gender, race, Hispanic ethnicity, grade, and family structure (live with one parent, two parents, or some other configuration). Health and functioning variables included grade average (A’s and B’s, C’s, D’s and F’s); extracurricular activities (including employment); tobacco use (categorized as “never”, “once or twice”, “occasionally but not regularly”, “regularly in the past”, or “regularly now”); lifetime marijuana use defined as any use in the past 30 days; alcohol frequency categorized as none, light (1–5 days), moderate (6–19 days), or heavy (20 days or more); lifetime use of other drugs (categorized as “any” or “none”); current caffeine use (none, 1–2 drinks per day, 3 or more drinks per day); a two week period of feeling sad or hopeless and losing interest in usual activities (assessing for depression symptomatology) in the past 12 months; past 12-months history of getting into a fight requiring medical attention; and past 12-months report of carrying a weapon of any kind to school.

Data Analysis

Data were double-entered from the paper surveys into an electronic database. Random spot checks of completed surveys and data cleaning procedures were performed to ensure that data were accurate and not out of range.

Distribution characteristics of all variables were examined. Only participants with complete data on the dependent variable were included in analyses. Baseline demographic data were evaluated for differences between those with complete data and those without complete data using t-tests for parametric data and Mann-Whitney U tests for nonparametric data. Participants were divided into three groups: no stealing, non-kleptomania stealing, and kleptomania. Differences between the three groups were examined using Pearson chi-square. All comparison tests were two-tailed.

Multivariable analyses were conducted using multinomial logistic regression models with the three-group stealing variable as the dependent variable. The three groups were compared using odds ratios from these models, adjusting for demographic characteristics found to distinguish the three groups in bivariate analyses. Because all pairwise comparisons of three groups were performed, p values were corrected to 0.02 to allow for multiple comparisons.

Demographics of the sample are presented ( Table 1 ). The overall prevalence of stealing was 15.2% (95%CI: 14.8–17.0). Twenty-nine students (0.72% of the entire sample, 4.6% of those who steal) endorsed stealing symptoms consistent with a DSM-IV diagnosis of kleptomania. Males were more likely to have reported stealing than were girls. African-Americans and Asian-Americans were more likely to have reported stealing. Those students in 9 th grade were more likely to have stolen, and students living with two parents were less likely to have stolen ( Table 1 ).

Demographic Variables for High School Students Based on Stealing Behavior

Ns represent actual number of respondents in each category;

%s indicate weighted percentages

Among those students who stole, a small percentage (4.6%) met criteria for kleptomania ( Table 2 ). Those meeting criteria for kleptomania stole more frequently than other students reporting stealing (p=0.0028) and were more likely to report missing activities due to stealing, having a problem with stealing, and having family members express concern over their stealing behavior (p<.0001; Table 2 ).

Characteristics of Stealing Behavior, Among Students Who Report Stealing

Table 3 presents the unadjusted associations between health and functioning variables and the three stealing groups. These analyses indicate that all of the variables assessed (poor grades, lack of extra-curricular activities, regular smoking, any drug use, heavy alcohol use, heavy caffeine use, endorsement of sadness and hopelessness, and other antisocial behaviors (e.g., fighting, carrying weapons)) were all significantly associated with stealing.

Clinical Variables for High School Students Based on Stealing Behavior

Logistic regression models calculated associations between health and functioning variables and stealing groups, adjusted for gender, grade, and race/ethnicity ( Table 4 ). Those reporting stealing were more likely than non-stealers to report poor grades (C’s and lower among non-kleptomania stealers, D’s and F’s among kleptomania stealers), smoking at any level, smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol (at any level among non-kleptomania stealers, heavily among kleptomania stealers), using other drugs, getting into serious fights, and carrying a weapon. Non-kleptomania stealers were more likely to drink two or more caffeine drinks a day than were non-stealers, but there was no significant association with caffeine use among kleptomania stealers. Both kleptomania and non-kleptomania groups were significantly less likely to report sadness or hopelessness than respondents who reported no stealing.

Clinical Comparison of High School Students Based on Stealing Behavior

Models are adjusted for gender, grade, race/ethnicity

There were also two significant differences between non-kleptomania and kleptomania stealers. High school students meeting criteria for kleptomania were significantly more likely to use other drugs and more likely to get into serious fights than were non-kleptomania stealers ( Table 4 ).

To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine the prevalence of stealing and kleptomania among adolescents and their associations with a broad range of problematic behaviors in a large community sample of high school students. The multiple strengths of the survey, including the high response rate, large community sample, and detailed questions regarding stealing behavior, allow for the systematic investigation of stealing with and without kleptomania with respect to a broad range of adolescent health and functioning measures. The finding that approximately 15% of high school students had stolen in their lifetimes is consistent with findings from large population-based surveys of adults (11.3%), 1 and further supports findings that stealing behavior typically starts in childhood and adolescence. Although only 0.72% of the total sample endorsed symptoms consistent with kleptomania, the prevalence is comparable to that from a recent survey of college students (0.4%). 10

Stealing was associated with multiple measures of adverse functioning including poor grades, regular smoking, any drug use, heavy alcohol use, endorsement of sadness and hopelessness, and other antisocial behaviors such as fighting and carrying weapons. In addition, about 15% of non-kleptomania stealers reported 3 or more of the six problems related to kleptomania. These findings suggest that the majority of stealing is not directly accounted for by kleptomania and raises questions regarding how best to classify and target (in prevention and treatment efforts) the majority of adolescent stealing.

Other findings in this study provide clues as to possible etiologies of stealing behavior in adolescents. In students who stole, stealing was associated with alcohol and drug use, heavy caffeine use, and regular smoking. Those who stole reported symptoms consistent with addictive behaviors - urges to steal, spending a significant amount of time engaged in the behavior (approximately one-quarter of the adolescents who stole did so more than 7 times per week), attempts to cut back, missed opportunities due to behavior, and a calming effect of the stealing. These findings suggest that perhaps stealing in some adolescents is part of a larger constellation of addictive behaviors which include smoking, alcohol and drugs, and that these associations become stronger as stealing behavior becomes more pathological.

Stealing may co-occur with substance abuse, such as alcohol, drugs or nicotine, for multiple reasons. Biological (e.g., genetic) factors, such as those contributing to impulsivity or related constructs, may contribute to participation in multiple addictive behaviors. 11 Stealing and substance abuse may also be related to common social or environmental factors, such as substance abuse disinhibiting someone and leading to stealing. Specific influences of stealing (calming, stimulating, attention-related, coping with stress) may enhance stealing experiences. Conversely, students who steal may try unsuccessfully to cope with guilt by using drugs and alcohol. The extent to which the relationship between stealing and substance abuse is mediated by specific environmental, genetic or other biological factors warrants further examination. Screening for stealing as part of other addictive behaviors may prove useful in both the prevention and possible treatment of a variety of addictive behaviors in this age group.

The stealing behavior of these high school students may, however, have multiple etiologies. Other antisocial behaviors (e.g., fighting, carrying weapons) were also significantly associated with a history of stealing. This finding is consistent with previous research that found stealing to be one of many antisocial behaviors seen in delinquent youth. 6 , 12 , 13 This finding may suggest that some of the stealing behavior may be attributable to antisocial traits in these students.

This study found that high school students who had stolen were significantly more likely to have poor grades. It has been suggested that school failure contributes to a complex chain of events leading to antisocial behaviors. 14 Conversely, addictive behaviors such as stealing and substance abuse may lead to poor school performance. 15 Further research (e.g., longitudinal) is needed to better understand the nature of this observed association between problematic behavior and poor grades and to identify directionality and mediating and moderating factors.

The data yield several important conclusions. First, stealing among high school students is fairly common and associated with a broad range of behavioral problems. Second, students who steal exhibit a range of addictive and socially unacceptable behaviors. Although the stealing may reflect a larger pattern of antisocial behaviors, there has been relatively little research exploring stealing correlates with broad indices of psychopathology. The current findings indicate that stealing, whether reaching criteria for kleptomania or not, is associated with significant behavioral problems particularly in the area of substance use and abuse. Although there are no diagnostic criteria for degrees of stealing behaviors except kleptomania, the findings suggest that stealing for many adolescents may be considered within a spectrum of addictive and disinhibited behaviors. The diagnosis of kleptomania, however, is controversial, especially in adolescents, and the question of when a behavior becomes a disorder is particularly relevant to adolescents because deviations from normal behavior are not solely related to factors within the individual but instead may reflect interactions between the adolescent and their social context. 16 Depending upon that context, a behavior may reflect a problem or an adaptive response. 17 Focusing on a categorical psychiatric disorder, such as kleptomania, may ignore dispositional characteristics (e.g., impulsiveness, sensation-seeking) and their relationship to externalizing problems. 18 Regardless of the underlying mechanisms for the association between stealing and other externalizing behaviors, these results raise concern that stealing in some adolescents may be reflective of a broader psychopathology of addiction. This has implications for primary care or school settings, where screening and brief interventions around stealing, smoking and other drug use could be implemented.

These data have important forensic implications as well. The findings demonstrate that adolescent stealing behavior lies along a continuum of severity, and that stealing behavior at all levels of severity appears to be associated with a range of problematic behaviors. Forensic psychiatrists should therefore assess any adolescent stealing for a range of associated problems. Because stealing may be a cause, an effect, or an associated symptom of other difficulties, such as school performance, drug use, or emotional problems, the forensic psychiatrist needs to be aware of the relationship between stealing and these other problematic behaviors so as to recommend proper treatment interventions for the associated behaviors (for example, chemical dependency treatment) to prevent re-offending. These findings also suggest that for some adolescents, stealing may be consistent with a diagnosis of kleptomania. In those cases, forensic psychiatrists must screen for kleptomania and make courts aware of the growing literature of evidence-based treatments for kleptomania. 19

This study has several important limitations. First, the cross-sectional nature of the data precludes our ability to establish temporal patterns between stealing and other problematic behaviors. It is therefore possible to suggest several competing, though not necessarily mutually exclusive, explanations, all of which are consistent with the data. For example, drugs or alcohol may disinhibit adolescents and result in an array of impulsive behaviors, including stealing. Alternatively, there is a strong social component to antisocial behavior in adolescence, 20 and therefore social variables, such as peer-groups, may give rise to a variety of externalizing behaviors of which stealing is only one. 21 Second, economic data of the families was not obtained and therefore it is unclear to what extent necessity, or perceived necessity, contributed to the stealing behavior. This information could prevent the unnecessary pathologizing of behavior. Stealing behavior generated from significant poverty, for example, may be adaptive or even accepted in those circumstances. Third, although 0.7% of students appear to have met criteria for kleptomania, the study did not conduct individual clinical interviews with these students. Also, DSM-IV diagnostic criterion E (“the stealing is not better accounted for by conduct disorder, a manic episode, or antisocial personality disorder”) was not part of the survey. There are several problems with making diagnoses based on self-report surveys without clinical correlations and without using the exclusionary criteria for kleptomania. Our results may overestimate the diagnosis of kleptomania in this population. Without the exclusionary criterion, the validity and reliability of the kleptomania diagnosis are in question. Other psychiatric diagnoses (for example, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, substance use disorders) may explain the endorsement of severe stealing behavior.

This study highlights the need for future research. In particular, research focusing on a possible biological basis for the associations between stealing, substance abuse, and other problematic behaviors is needed. Additionally, given the clinical, legal, and public health concerns of these associations, future research should address both primary and secondary interventions.

Acknowledgments

Supported in part by: (1) the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center P50 AA15632), (2) the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Psychotherapy Development Center P50DA09421 and R01-DA019039); (3) the National Institute on Mental Health (K23 MH069754-01A1); (4) the Veterans Administration VISN1 MIRECC and REAP; and (5) Women’s Health Research at Yale.

Disclosures:

Dr. Grant has received research grants from Forest Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, and Somaxon Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Grant has also been a consultant to Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and Somaxon Pharmaceuticals and has consulted for law offices as an expert in pathological gambling.

Dr. Potenza consults for and is an advisor to Boehringer Ingelheim, receives research support from Mohegan Sun, has consulted for and has financial interests in Somaxon, and has consulted for law offices and the federal defender’s office as an expert in pathological gambling and impulse control disorders.

Dr. Krishnan-Sarin reports no financial or other relationship relevant to the subject of this article.

Dr. Cavallo reports no financial or other relationship relevant to the subject of this article.

Dr. Desai reports no financial or other relationship relevant to the subject of this article.

Contributor Information

Jon E. Grant, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN.

Marc N. Potenza, Departments of Psychiatry and Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Dana A. Cavallo, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Rani A. Desai, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Teaching Children About Stealing w/free Printable

When the time comes for you to teach your child about stealing it often sneaks up on you. This was the case quite recently for me when I had to deal with my son stealing . I was caught off guard but handled the situation to the best of my ability and then got to work on a unit to teach the children about stealing and why stealing is a bad thing.

I find joy in sharing how to teach tough lessons and my teaching children about honesty unit has helped thousands of families since originally published on my old site Upside Down Kids. I hope you as a parent find this unit just as helpful.

When your child starts stealing

When your child starts stealing it is our job to handle the situation quickly before a habit develops.

Bible verses on stealing

He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He hears the oath but tells nothing. ~Proverbs 29:24

Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house. ~ Proverbs 6:30-31

“You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'” ~ Luke 18:20

What is stealing?

For young children, this is a concept they have trouble connecting with. Talking about stealing with your children needs concrete examples they can understand.  

While discussing stealing with your child have them put their favorite toy in their lap. Now snatch the toy away. Ask your child how they would feel if you took it and never gave it back.

(Que fit) After your child reacts, and calms down, talk to your child about how others feel when someone steals from them. Nothing like feeling the emotions them self to connect to the truth.

Video Connections About Stealing

Teaching children about stealing with books.

Stealing (God, I Need to Talk to You About…)

Talk about stealing in everyday life.

Ask your child these questions to get the conversation started.

If you found a wallet on the road would keeping it be stealing?

What do you think happens when you steal from a store?

At the store discuss how we pay for things while in line at the store.

Free printable to teach children not to steal.

Grab this free Christian based printable on stealing to help your children understand it is wrong.

—-> TeachingChildrenAboutStealing <—-

What to do when your child steals.

On the way back to the store we walked and talked a bit. We discussed:

When we arrived at the customer service desk I handed him the black box and told him to give it back.  Through tears of embarrassment, my little man handed the lady the little black box.

He politely apologized for his actions and promised he would not do it again. The women did just as I hoped and smiled down at him. She asked him to promise never to do it again and sent him on his way.

We left the store with his tears cried out and the three of us sat talking together in front of the store and waited for my husband to grab us after checking out at the grocery store.

Why did my child steal?

This varies by the age of your child. In our case my son is only 4 and he did it because he truly did not know better. You see in our home everything is pretty much community property.

Everything the children are not allowed to touch or play with is up out of reach and the children are required to share toys and such.  This was a lesson that had to happen outside of the home and I hope it is a lesson he remembers.

For older children, many factors come into play peer pressure, self-control issues, and even purposeful acting out. For older children you may have to add more to your punishment as talking it out and returning the item is not enough for a child that knew right from wrong before he acted out.

Give a little bit of Grace.

When situations like this arise we find ourselves forced to look at the situation from another point of view. For a moment stop and think. What to do When Your Child Steals? What would The Lord do in this place?

The answer? Well if I am to be so bold as to say how God would handle this I must say… He would give a little Grace and forgiveness. We all make mistakes. We all sin. and your child is no different so give a little grace in this situation.

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This is so hard! My daughter has been caught several times stealing candy from her siblings. We have talked to her, written out verses with her, asked her to use her own money to buy candy to replace what she stole, etc. And yet, she stole from my purse a couple days ago. It’s an issue of self control. I don’t know where to take it from here. We have talked about Jesus giving her victory over her impulses. We have talked about temptation. Nothing seems to help.

When it hits this point it is often driven by other issues. I recommend you speak to your child’s dr for a referral to a pediatric mental health professional that can help her move past this compulsive behavior .

I love this teaching. It has helped in my lesson plan. Thanks so very much.

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Lying and Stealing

Lying and stealing are common, but inappropriate, behaviors in school-aged children. Some severe forms of these behaviors can be a sign of a more serious psychological problem. But most of the time it is simply a common behavior that will be outgrown. Lying and stealing are more common in boys than girls. Both happen most often in children ages 5 to 8 years.

When your child is lying

When you have a child who is lying, it is important to first remember the child's age and developmental stage.

Under age 3.  Children this age don't lie on purpose. They do not understand what they are saying. Instead, they are just experimenting with language and newfound facts about the world. They might also lie to prevent punishment. That is because they understand the consequences but have an undeveloped moral code.

Ages 3 to 7.  Children this age often have problems separating the real world from fantasy. They might have imaginary playmates at this age and enjoy fairy tales and make-believe play. The lies told by this age group are mostly tales that they have made up, not intentional lies. By age 6 or 7, children understand what lying is. But they will continue to cheat if able.

Ages 6 to 12.  Children now understand what lying is and the moral wrongness of this behavior. But they may continue to lie to test adult rules and limits. The child may admit to telling a lie, but often they have many reasons for having done so. Rules are very important at this age, so cheating becomes less important.

Other factors that may cause a child to lie

These factors include:

Children may lie if their parents' expectations of them are too high.

Children may lie about their grades if parents assume that they are doing better in school than they really are.

If a child is asked why they did some bad behavior, the child may lie because they are unable to explain the actions.

Children who are not disciplined on a consistent basis may lie.

Children who don't receive praise and rewards may lie to get this attention.

Children facing disturbances at home or elsewhere may lie as a way to get help.

When does lying become a concern?

Many situations may cause concern. If any of these apply to your child, talk with their healthcare provider:

A child who is lying and also has other behavioral problems may have more psychological problems. Examples of behavioral problems include:

Setting things of fire

Being mean to people or animals

Having sleep problems

Being very hyperactive

A child who lies and does not have many friends or does not want to play in groups may have poor self-esteem and be depressed.

A child who lies to get something from someone else and does not show any signs of regret.

When your child is stealing

Stealing often causes more concern to parents because it may happen outside the home and may affect other people. During the school years, stealing may be a sign of a problem. But it may happen due to peer pressure and the child's need to fit in. It is important to look at the whole situation.

Under age 3.  Children this age take things because they don't understand fully the difference between what is mine and what is not. They then may become possessive of their things and protect them. They don't steal with bad intentions.

Ages 3 to 7.  Children now start to respect things that belong to others. But this age group will trade things without regard to value if something else is wanted. The respect for property continues in the school-aged child.

By age 9.  Children this age should respect others' things. They should understand that stealing is wrong. But children in this age group may continue to steal because of several factors, including:

They may feel peer pressure and the need to fit in.

They may have low self-esteem.

They may not have any friends and may be trying to buy their friends.

They may try to become good at stealing to feel proud of something they have done if they don't get positive feedback from their parents.

When does stealing become a concern?

Many situations may cause concern. If any of these apply to your child, it is important to talk with your child's healthcare provider:

An older child who steals and does not feel bad about it

A child who constantly steals

A child who also has other behavioral problems

Children older than age 3 should be confronted with any lying or stealing. But it is important to remember that most of these behaviors are part of growing up. They do not represent severe problems. Each child is unique. Talk with your child's healthcare provider about any concerns you have.

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The Stages of Puberty for Girls

Talking about the Birds and the Bees with Your Tweens and Teens

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School Vandalism and Break-Ins

Guide no.35 (2005).

by Kelly Dedel

PDF Guide   Order Bound Copy

The Problem of School Vandalism and Break-Ins

This guide addresses school vandalism and break-ins, describing the problem and reviewing the risk factors. It also discusses the associated problems of school burglaries and arson. The guide then identifies a series of questions to help you analyze your local problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem, and what is known about them from evaluative research and police practice.

Related Problems

School vandalism and break-ins are similar to vandalism and break-ins elsewhere, and some of the responses discussed here may be effective in other settings. However, schools are unique environments; the factors underlying school vandalism and break-ins differ from those underlying similar acts elsewhere, and therefore must be analyzed separately. Related problems not addressed in this guide include

• Vandalism in nonschool settings
• School theft by students (e.g., of student backpacks and wallets)
• School theft by staff (e.g., of equipment)
• Burglary of retail establishments
• Burglary of single-family houses .

School break-ins typically fall into one of three categories:

• Nuisance break-ins, in which youth break into a school building, seemingly as an end in itself. They cause little serious damage and usually take nothing of value.
• Professional break-ins, in which offenders use a high level of skill to enter the school, break into storage rooms containing expensive equipment, and remove bulky items from the scene. They commit little incidental damage and may receive a lot of money for the stolen goods.
• Malicious break-ins entail significant damage to the school's interior and may include arson. Offenders sometimes destroy rather than steal items of value. 1

While school vandalism and break-ins generally comprise many often-trivial incidents, in the aggregate, they pose a serious problem for schools and communities, and the police and fire departments charged with protecting them. Many school fires originate as arson or during an act of vandalism. 2 Though less frequent than other types of school vandalism, arson has significant potential to harm students and staff. In the United Kingdom in 2000, approximately one-third of school arson fires occurred during school hours, when students were present, a significant proportional increase since 1990. 3

Graffiti tagging and other forms of defacement often mar school buildings and grounds.  Credit: David Corbett

These statistics likely fail to reveal the magnitude of the problem. While the U.S. Department of Education, major education associations, and national organizations regularly compile data on school-related violence, weapons, and gang activity, they do not do so regarding school vandalism and break-ins. One reason for this may be that schools define vandalism very differently—some include both intentional and accidental damage, some report only those incidents that result in an insurance claim, and some include only those incidents for which insurance does not cover the costs. 6 School administrators may hesitate to report all cases of vandalism, break-ins, or arson because they view some as trivial, or because they fear it will reflect poorly on their management skills. 7 Partially because of the failure to report, few perpetrators are apprehended, and even fewer are prosecuted. 8

The lack of consistency in reporting school vandalism and break-ins means that cost estimates are similarly imprecise. Vandalism costs are usually the result of numerous small incidents, rather than more-serious incidents. Various estimates reveal that the costs of school vandalism are both high and increasing. 9 In 1970, costs of school vandalism in the United States were estimated at $200 million, climbing to an estimated $600 million in 1990. 10 Not only does school vandalism have fiscal consequences associated with repairing or replacing damaged or stolen property and paying higher insurance premiums if schools are not self-insured, but it also takes its toll in terms of aspects such as difficulties in finding temporary accommodations and negative effects on student, staff, and community morale.

Not all incidents of vandalism and break-ins have the same effect on the school environment. Again, two useful dimensions for understanding the problem's impact are the monetary cost (where the repair charges are high), and the social cost (where the event has a significant negative impact on student, staff, and community morale). Events with high monetary and social costs typically occur less frequently than those with low monetary and social costs. 11

Factors Contributing to School Vandalism and Break-Ins

Understanding the factors that contribute to your problem will help you frame your own local analysis questions, determine good effectiveness measures, recognize key intervention points, and select appropriate responses.

Offender Characteristics

Those who vandalize or break into schools are typically young and male, acting in small groups. Vandalism and break-ins are most common among junior high school students, and become less frequent as students reach high school. 12 Those involved in school-related arson are more likely to be in high school. 13 Many vandals have done poorly academically, and may have been truant, suspended, or expelled. 14 As is typical of many adolescents, students who vandalize and break into schools have a poor understanding of their behavior's impact on others, and are more concerned with the consequences to themselves. 15 Offenders are no more likely to be emotionally disturbed than their peers who do not engage in the behavior, nor are they any more critical of their classes, teachers, or school in general. 16

While the majority of students do not engage in vandalism, they do not generally harbor negative feelings toward those who do. In other words, "vandalism is a behavior that students can perform without the risk of condemnation by other students." 17 Youth who lack full-time parental supervision during after-school hours have been found to be more involved in all types of delinquency than students whose parents are home when they return from school. 18 In 2002-2003, 25 percent of all school-aged children were left to care for themselves after school, including half of children in grades 9 through 12 and one third of children in grades 6 though 8. 19

Though far less frequently, adults sometimes commit school vandalism and break-ins. Most often, they do so to steal high-value items (e.g., computers, televisions, cameras) and sell them on the street. 20 Adults are far less likely to maliciously deface or destroy school property.

Motivations

The typical observer may think school vandalism and break-ins are pointless, particularly when the offenders have focused on property destruction and have taken nothing of value. One can better understand the behavior when considering it in the context of adolescence, when peer influence is a particularly powerful motivator. Most delinquent acts are carried out by groups of youths, and vandalism is no exception. Participating in vandalism often helps a youth to maintain or enhance his or her status among peers. 21 This status comes with little risk since, in contrast to playing a game or fighting, there are no winners or losers.

Beyond peer influence, there are several other motivations for school vandalism:

• Acquisitive vandalism is committed to obtain property or money.
• Tactical vandalism is used to accomplish goals such as getting school cancelled.
• Ideological vandalism is oriented toward a social or political cause or message, such as a protest against school rules.
• Vindictive vandalism (such as setting fire to the principal's office after being punished) is done to get revenge.
• Play vandalism occurs when youth intentionally damage property during the course of play.
• Malicious vandalism is used to express rage or frustration. Because of its viciousness and apparent senselessness, people find this type particularly difficult to understand. 22

As schools have become increasingly technologically equipped, thefts of electronic and high-tech goods have become more common. 23 Computers, VCRs, and DVD players are popular targets because they are relatively easy to resell. Students also steal more-mundane items such as food and school supplies, for their own use.

In addition, youth may participate in school vandalism or break-ins in a quest for excitement. 24 Some communities do not have constructive activities for youth during after-school hours and in the summer. Without structured alternatives, youth create their own fun, which may result in relatively minor vandalism or major property damage to schools and school grounds.

A high proportion of vandalism occurs, quite naturally, when schools are unoccupiedbefore and after school hours, on weekends, and during vacationsas well as later in the school week and later in the school year. 25 Local factors, such as the community's use of school facilities after hours, may also determine when vandalism is most likely to occur in any one school.

Schools are prime targets for vandalism and break-ins for a number of reasons:

• They have high concentrations of potential offenders in high-risk age groups.
• They are easily accessible.
• They are symbols of social order and middle-class values.
• Some youth believe that public property belongs to no one, rather than to everyone.

Partially hidden entryways can provide opportunity for would-be vandals.  Credit: David Corbett

Some schools are much more crime-prone than others, and repeat victimization is common. 26 A school's attractiveness as a vandalism target may also be related to its failure to meet some students' social, educational, and emotional needs; students may act out to express their displeasure or frustration. 27 Schools with either an oppressive or a hands-off administrative style, or those characterized as impersonal, unresponsive, and nonparticipatory, suffer from higher levels of vandalism and break-ins. 28 Conversely, in schools with lower vandalism rates,

• Parents support disciplinary policies
• Students value teachers' opinions
• Teachers do not express hostile or authoritarian attitudes toward students
• Teachers do not use grades as a disciplinary tool
• Teachers have informal, cooperative, and fair dealings with the principal
• Staff consistently and fairly enforce school rules. 29

Certain physical attributes of school buildings and grounds also affect their vulnerability to vandalism and break-ins. In general, large, modern, sprawling schools have higher rates of vandalism and break-ins than smaller, compact schools. 30 The modern, sprawling schools have large buildings scattered across campus, rather than clustered together. A school's architectural characteristics may also influence the quality of administrative and teacher-student relationships that are developed, which can affect the school's vulnerability. Common vandalism locations and typical entry points include 31

Rooftops that are accessible only from within the building provide a greater degree of security.  Credit: David Corbett

• Partially hidden areas around buildings that are large enough for small groups of students to hang out in (which can give rise to graffiti, damaged trees and plants, and broken windows)
• Alcoves created by stairways adjacent to walls, depressed entrances, and delivery docks (which offer coverage for prying at windows, picking locks, and removing door hinges)
• Main entrances not secured by grills or gates when school is closed, and secondary entrances with removable exterior door hardware
• Unsecured windows and skylights
• Large, smooth, light-colored walls (which are prime graffiti targets)
• Rooftops accessible from the ground, from nearby trees, or from other rooftops (which can allow access to damageable equipment and hardware).

Vandals damage schools that neglect grounds and building maintenance, those whose grounds have little aesthetic appeal, and those that do not appear to be occupied or looked after more often than they damage carefully tended and preserved schools. 32

Free Bound Copies of the Problem Guides

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Connor Stalions, accused in Michigan sign-stealing scandal, gets job at Detroit high school

FILE - Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, front left, watches against Rutgers as analytics assistant Connor Stalions, right, looks on during an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Sept. 23, 2023. Stalions is set to share his side of the story from an alleged sign-stealing scheme within Michigan’s football team before it went on to win the national championship. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

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DETROIT (AP) — Connor Stalions, the former low-level recruiting staffer at Michigan who was at the center of a sign-stealing scandal, is running the defense at a Detroit high school.

“I got the most hated man in college football right now, Connor Stalions. He’s my defensive coordinator,” Mumford coach William McMichael told The Detroit News.

Stalions is accused of running an advance-scouting scheme for more than two years at Michigan. He sent people to games involving the Wolverines’ future opponents to digitally record signals that could be used to steal signs. In-person scouting and recording of signs are against NCAA rules.

Michigan is expected to receive a notice of allegations from the NCAA soon, though it will likely take months to resolve the matter. Jim Harbaugh, who coached the Wolverines and won a national title last season before jumping to the NFL, has denied having any knowledge of what Stalions was doing.

Stalions hasn’t made any public remarks since leaving Michigan last November. He didn’t speak to the newspaper about his job at Mumford, a public school in northwestern Detroit that has a 2-16 record since 2022.

“What happened with the NCAA doesn’t concern us here at Mumford,” McMichael said. “He comes here every day and gives 120 percent, and the kids all love him and we’re all learning from him.”

McMichael said he met Stalions when Michigan was recruiting his son.

“He can help prepare the kids for college,” the coach said. “They are learning the lingo, how they practice college and how they break down film, so it gives the kids an advantage.”

Chicago-area school worker gets 9-year sentence for stealing $1.5M worth of chicken wings: Reports

Prosecutors say vera liddell used her school district's funds during the covid-19 pandemic to steal more than 11,000 cases of wings meant for take-home meals for students doing remote learning, by nicole tan • published august 14, 2024 • updated on august 14, 2024 at 1:48 pm.

A school district official in Chicago has been sentenced to nine years in prison for stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to prosecutors.  

Vera Liddell, who worked as the director of food services at Harvey School District 152, plead guilty Friday, Aug. 9, for theft and operating a financial criminal enterprise. 

📺 24/7 Chicago news stream: Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are

Liddell, 68, stole more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings meant for take-home meals for students doing remote learning from July 2020 to February 2022, according to local TV station WGN .

Liddell placed hundreds of unauthorized food item orders with Gordon Food Services, the district’s main supplier, during that 19-month period.

While Liddell placed these orders separately from legitimate orders, the food distributor billed the school district for the items, believing they were authorized purchases, court documents state. 

The fraud was uncovered last year after an audit found that the district’s food service department exceeded its annual budget by $300,000 just halfway through the school year, according to the proffer. 

Records say the “massive quantities” of chicken wings stood out because they contain bones. Bone-in wings are not typically served to students. 

U.S. & World

Live updates: Biden to deliver opening night keynote as DNC kicks off in Chicago

Former NY Rep. George Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud and identity theft in federal case

Gordon Food Service employees said they were familiar with Liddell because of her massive chicken wings purchases, Cook County prosecutors stated. Surveillance footage showed that Liddell would pick up the orders at the supplier’s facility in a district cargo van and leave without ever bringing the food to school buildings. 

Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter .

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Home — Essay Samples — Law, Crime & Punishment — Criminal Behavior — Negative consequences of stealing

Overview of The Negative Consequences of Stealing

• Categories: Criminal Behavior Stealing

About this sample

Words: 614 |

Published: Mar 1, 2019

Words: 614 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Works Cited

• Becker, S. P., & Diamond, G. M. (2017). Rethinking consequences of stealing: Considerations for empirical research and practice. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 24(1), 18-30.
• Jensen, G. F., & Norwood, B. F. (2014). The economics of crime: Lessons for and from Latin America. University of Chicago Press.
• Mallick, R. (2016). The economics of crime: An analysis of crime rates in India. Economics Bulletin, 36(3), 1741-1754.
• Mazerolle, L., & Ransley, J. (Eds.). (2006). Contemporary issues in crime and criminal justice: Essays in honor of Gilbert Geis. Criminal Justice Press.
• Steffensmeier, D. J., & Allan, E. A. (1996). Gender and crime: Toward a gendered theory of female offending. Annual Review of Sociology, 22(1), 459-487.
• Gibson, C. L., & Sullivan, C. J. (2012). Measuring theft: An application of the property crime literature to the problem of data on theft from retail stores. Crime & Delinquency, 58(3), 422-444.
• Zhang, J., Messner, S. F., Liu, J., & Liu, J. (2019). Income inequality and property crime in the United States revisited: A county-level analysis. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 35(3), 607-633.
• Collier, P. (1999). On the economic consequences of civil war. Oxford Economic Papers, 51(1), 168-183.
• Durlauf, S. N. (2001). On the empirics of social capital. The Economic Journal, 111(469), F459-F479.
• Uggen, C., & Manza, J. (2002). Democratic contraction? Political consequences of felon disenfranchisement in the United States. American Sociological Review, 67(6), 777-803.

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Connor Stalions finally emerged from Detroit Mumford after 6-hour game of cat-and-mouse

After a six-hour game of cat-and-mouse Saturday with the media, Connor Stalions finally emerged from the friendly confines of Detroit Mumford.

Yes, that Connor Stalions .

He is the same Stalions who allegedly masterminded an elaborate scheme for Michigan football , where he was an analyst, to steal the signals opponents used to relay plays from the sidelines to the quarterback.

The NCAA investigation led to former U-M coach Jim Harbaugh being suspended for the final three regular-season games last season.

Stalions became relevant this summer when he joined first-year head coach William McMichael’s Mumford staff as a volunteer coach and defensive coordinator. News broke Friday of his move to Detroit high school football.

And Netflix is scheduled to run a documentary on Stalions called “Sign Stealer” on Aug. 27 .

McMichael said he is not concerned about any NCAA rules Stalions may have violated at U-M.

“Naw, the NCAA really doesn’t have anything to do with high school football,” he said. “He had to go through a background check just like everybody else that comes into the Detroit community school district and he was able to pass that. As long as he passed that, I don’t have no problem with him.”

MYSTERY MAN: Connor Stalions’ drive unlocked his Michigan dream — and a sign-stealing scandal

Mumford was 1-8 in each of the past two seasons. This is McMichael’s first season as a head coach after being an assistant for more than 30 years.

If you wonder why some schools have difficulty fielding competent teams, Saturday’s dog-and-pony show was Exhibit A ... and B ... and C.

According to McMichael, Mumford was supposed to be on the field at 9 a.m., but the players were in the weight room then. Practice on the field was pushed back to 10 a.m., but at 10, McMichael came out of the school and said the players would be on the field at 12:30 p.m.

At 12:30 p.m., McMichael responded to a text saying practice would begin at 2 p.m.

That was switched to 2:45 p.m. and finally, McMichael said they would be on the field at 3:10 p.m..

On Friday, McMichael said he didn’t think Stalions would speak to the media but that the media was welcome to attend the practice.

Finally, at 3:10 p.m. the players came out of the school’s back door near the weight room where media waited, but Stalions wasn’t with them.

Instead, Stalions left via a front door and literally sprinted to the middle of the field, where he remained safe and sound away from media.

He looked like a wide receiver headed to the end zone with the defense in hot pursuit.

But there was no one chasing him and this was no media throng like you might see at a Lions practice. There was a reporter and a photographer from the Free Press, the Detroit News, and a reporter and cameraman from WWJ-TV (Ch. 62, CBS Detroit).

That’s it. Six people.

McMichael said Stalions claims he is not legally allowed to make a public statement until the Netflix documentary is released.

When asked if Stalions could say that for himself, or speak about coaching high school football at Mumford without mentioning the sign-stealing fiasco, McMichael said Stalions didn’t want to speak.

Except for the 21 players who came out for “disciplinary running,” the players were kept in the school for more than six hours.

Instead of practicing on the field at 9 a.m., during the coolest part of the day, the players didn’t hit the field until after 3 p.m. when the temperatures topped 80 degrees.

It made you wonder if all of this was done to protect Stalions, who left an indelible mark on the U-M program despite being a lowly off-field analyst.

In early August, Stalions was named by the NCAA as part of an investigation into the three-year period of purported sign-stealing, which has been labeled a Level I violation.

He is the same Stalions who grew up in Lake Orion and set his life’s ambition of being the head coach at U-M .

He is the same Stalions whose alleged scheme included buying tickets to future U-M opponents’ games and having people videotape the sideline signals for him from the stands.

The NCAA permits teams to scout during games, but staff members are not permitted to scout future opponents in-person ahead of time.

He is the same Stalions suspended with pay last October when U-M learned of an NCAA investigation, and the same Stalions who resigned in November for refusing to cooperate with NCAA investigators.

Teams on Mumford’s schedule may want to send in plays with running backs instead of trying to signal them into the quarterback.

McMichael said he met Stalions when his son, Jeremiah Beasley, an All-Stater from Belleville, was being recruited by U-M.

Beasley did sign with U-M and was an early enrollee, but transferred to Missouri before his freshman season this fall.

A mutual friend mentioned to McMichael that Stalions was looking to coach high school football.

“He wasn’t doing nothing,” McMichael said, “so I did an informal interview to see what he’s talking about, where he’s at and he seemed like a perfect fit.”

Stalions’ field of expertise comes on defense, ideal for the Mustangs.

 “What we want to do,” McMichael said, “we want to mirror Michigan's defense, so who knows the defense better than he does?”

He was proven to be quite a hit for the players, who have formed a bond with someone who can be viewed by them as a big brother.

“He has a wealth of knowledge, great personality,” McMichael said. “The kids love him. And he’s young and enthusiastic; I think he’s still in his 20s. He relates to them.”

Stalions’ volunteer status is just what it indicates: He is doing this gig for free.

“If I had to pay him, I couldn’t afford him,” McMichael said.

Mick McCabe is a former longtime columnist for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at  [email protected] . Follow him  @mickmccabe1 .

Order his new book, “Mick McCabe’s Golden Yearbook: 50 Great Years of Michigan’s Best High School Players, Teams & Memories,” right now at  McCabe.PictorialBook.com .

Saudi Arabian man admits stealing school bus in N.J., driving it to Pennsylvania

• Updated: Aug. 15, 2024, 7:18 p.m.
• | Published: Aug. 15, 2024, 7:05 p.m.
• Nicolas Fernandes | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

A Saudi Arabia national has admitted in court that he stole a school bus in New Jersey and drove it across state lines.

Bader Alzahrani, 24, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the federal charge of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release. He was indicted by a grand jury last summer.

Authorities say he swiped the bus in Livingston and drove it to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

Federal authorities say police responded to a break-in at an unoccupied house on Hillside Avenue in Livingston on Jan. 15. While searching the home, officers found a backpack containing a Saudi Arabian passport belonging to Alzahrani, as well as journals with entries that made jihad threats and derogatory remarks about Jewish people and police officers.

Among the phrases in the journals were: “Why didn’t you slaughter the police officer who threw the Quran?,” “Blood, blood, destruction, destruction. Allah,” and “Destruction of the new world and the earth will be destroyed from all sides,” according to court papers.

Two days later, the Livingston Board of Education reported that a school bus had been stolen from a parking lot across the street from the house, officials said.

Authorities located the bus in Stroudsburg on Jan. 19 and found Alzahrani in the area a short time later with the keys to the vehicle, prosecutors said.

He came to the U.S. on a student visa and was attending an unidentified university, but left the school in October 2022 and was reported missing, court documents said.

His sentencing is scheduled for September 9.

Stories by Nicolas Fernandes

• N.J. weather: Severe thunderstorm watch issued for entire state. Up to 70 mph winds possible.
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Cafeteria Worker Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Stealing $1.5 Million Worth of Chicken Wings from School

Vera Liddell was charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise

Cook County State's Attorney's Office

An Illinois cafeteria worker is heading to prison after stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings from a school district.

On Friday, August 9, former Harvey School District director Vera Liddell pleaded guilty to the crime, according to WGN-TV , ABC and CBS . 

She was charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise, the outlets reported, and has since been sentenced to nine years in prison.

PEOPLE reached out to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office for additional information, but did not immediately hear back. It is not immediately clear if Liddell has legal representation to comment on her behalf.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for  PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter  for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Liddell, 68, previously served as the food service director for the Chicago school district, despite having multiple bankruptcies in her past, according to CBS.

Per ABC, prosecutors said Liddell placed orders for the chicken wings with the district’s main food supplier for nearly two years, starting in July 2020, though she would keep the food, despite charging the district.

Liddell’s theft was discovered after the district's food service department exceeded its annual budget by $300,000 mid-year, the outlet said.

Court records obtained by CBS state that the former school worker was accused of ordering more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings.

The food was meant to be used for take-home meals for students who were learning remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, WGN reported. Liddell had worked at the school district for more than a decade, the outlet said.

"The massive fraud began at the height of COVID during a time when students were not allowed to be physically present in school," said a prosecutor during a bond hearing, per WGN-TV. "Even though the children were learning remotely, the school district continued to provide meals for the students that their families could pick up."

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Stealing - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Stealing is an act of taking something that belongs to someone else without their consent. It is considered a criminal offense and can result in legal consequences. Stealing can take different forms such as theft, shoplifting, embezzlement, fraud, and robbery. It is morally wrong and can harm both the victim and the thief. People steal for various reasons such as financial gain, addiction, or desperation. However, stealing is never a justified action and can lead to severe consequences.

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Where Lifestyle Cultures Blend

Review: ‘Stealing School,’ starring Celine Tsai and Jonathan Keltz

Arts and Entertainment

Andy Yu , Canada , Celest Chong , Celine Tsai , Clare McConnell , comedy , Darrin Baker , Jonathan Keltz , Jonathan Malen , Kayleigh Shikanai , Li Dong , Matthew Edison , Michelle Monteith , movies , Mpho Koaho , reviews , Stealing School , Sugith Varughese , Vas Saranga

April 10, 2021

by Carla Hay

“Stealing School”  

Directed by Li Dong

Some language in Chinese with subtitles

Culture Representation:  Taking place in an unnamed Canadian city, the comedy/drama “Stealing School” features a racially diverse cast (white, Asian and black) representing people connected in some way to the well-known (but fictional) Dupont University.

Culture Clash:  At the university, a white teaching assistant/Ph.D. student faces off with an Asian undergraduate accused of plagiarism in a tribunal hearing, which will determine if the student will be allowed to graduate or not.

Culture Audience:  “Stealing School” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in dark satires of how social justice issues have an effect on how universities want to be perceived.

The astutely written “Stealing School” takes an incisive look what can happen when race, class, gender and political correctness collide in a Canadian university that wants to project an image of being progressive and inclusive. The true nature of the movie, just like some of the characters in the story, won’t always match a first impression. “Stealing School” appears to be a straightforward drama, but it’s really a dark satire about the lengths that people will go to to keep up appearances. The story (which takes place at the fictional Dupont University in an unnamed Canadian city) unfolds in layers. Viewers will be kept in riveted suspense to see if the whole truth will eventually be revealed in an investigation over a student accused of committing plagiarism.

Written and directed by Li Dong, “Stealing School” centers on an academic tribunal to determine if Dupont undergraduate student April Chen (played by Celine Tsai) will be able to pass her political science class. April is a computer science major who is a week away from graduating from Dupont. The reason for the tribunal is because April has been accused of plagiarism in an important political science assignment. The political science class is one of the liberal-arts classes that April is required to take in order to graduate. If the three-person judging panel at the tribunal decides that April is guilty of plagiarism, she’ll fail the class and won’t be able to graduate.

The class’ ambitious teaching assistant Keith Ward (played by Jonathan Keltz), who is a Ph.D. candidate in the university’s political science department, brought the suspected plagiarism to the attention of the university and filed the formal complaint against April. Keith is also the one who has appointed himself the lead person to present the case against April. He’s taking this responsibility as seriously as a prosecutor in a criminal trial. Meanwhile, April has vehemently declared that she is not guilty and she’s going to vigorously defend herself.

Sitting next to Keith during the tribunal is his reluctant supervisor Professor Alan Thornton (played by Matthew Edison), who doesn’t really want to be there. Professor Thornton is annoyed with Keith because Keith went behind Professor Thornton’s back to file the complaint against April. Professor Thornton went along and signed off on the complaint because he didn’t want to look ignorant about what was going on with April’s assignment, which Professor Thornton had tasked Keith to look over and grade.

At the tribunal, April has someone on her side who definitely wants to be there. Sitting next to her at is undergraduate student Micah Shaw (played by Mpho Koaho), who is a volunteer in the student advocacy department. Micah has aspirations to go to law school. And based on what he says in the movie’s conversations, he’s more inclined to become a defense attorney than to work for plaintiffs. Just like Keith, Micah has the type of personality where he wants to be the one to stand up in front of a room and take the lead in presenting a case.

The three people on the judging panel who will decide April’s fate are Josh Bertier (played by Jonathan Malen), an undergraduate student in the computer science department; recently hired Dupont University bureaucrat Deborah Lewis (played by Michelle Monteith), whose title is academic integrity officer; and Professor Richard Gould (played by Darrin Baker) from the political science department. Because the tribunal is being held so close to the end of the academic school year, the three panelists are a little restless and want to get these proceedings over with as soon as possible. It also doesn’t help that the air conditioner in the room doesn’t seem to be working on this sweltering day.

Bit by bit, several things are revealed about all of the people in this tension-filled room. Many of the people have personal agendas that affect the way that they act and what they say in public and private. For example (and this isn’t spoiler information), Professor Gould and Professor Thornton have known each other since they attended the same grad school together. But they have a distant relationship because Professor Gould suspects that Professor Thornton wrote an insulting letter to university officials about Professor Gould to urge the university not to give tenure to Professor Gould. Whoever wrote the letter failed in the attempt to smear Professor Gould, because he ended up getting tenure.

During a break in the tribunal proceedings, Professor Gould (who is normally mild-mannered) angrily confronts Professor Thornton in the hallway about that letter. All of his pent-up anger comes out, but Professor Thornton denies that he wrote the letter. Is Professor Gould being paranoid? Or is he correct in assuming that Professor Thornton wrote the letter? And how will this grudge affect Professor Gould’s decision in April’s case?

Meanwhile, during certain breaks in the proceedings, April (who comes from a Chinese immigrant family) talks to her mother (voiced by Celest Chong) on the phone because her mother keeps calling in excitement over April’s graduation. It’s revealed that 12 people in April’s family will be traveling to the university for her graduation. April has a very promising future. She’s a computer science whiz who created a publishing platform that was bought by a company called Snakeskin. And she already has a job lined up at an unnamed Silicon Valley company.

A series of flashbacks tell more of the story. These flashbacks go as far back as two years before the tribunal and as recently as three days before the tribunal. Private conversations with some of the characters reveal some of their conscious and unconscious biases. For example, Josh (the computer science student on the tribunal judging panel) tells someone that there’s no shortage of Asian people in the computer science department, with his tone of voice suggesting that by “no shortage,” he really means “too many.” Josh also tells the same person that April is a “unicorn” because not she’s a good-looking woman who works in computer science.

In another flashback, academic integrity officer Deborah is seen in her first day on the job having a nervous and awkward conversation with her immediate supervisor Irene McDonnell (played by Adrienne Wilson), who is the assistant vice president of academic operations. Irene invites Deborah to an upcoming dinner that will be attended by potential donors. It’s implied but not said out loud that these potential donors are from non-Western countries.

Irene tells Deborah that American universities aren’t as welcoming of non-Westerners as Canadian universities are. “We’re better than that,” Irene says haughtily of what she thinks is American universities’ bigotry. Irene also tells Deborah that it’s important that the potential donors get the impression that Dupont is welcoming to people from non-Western countries.

Several witnesses are called during the tribunal, which takes place in one day. The witnesses include April’s roommate Kelly Nakashima (played by Kayleigh Shikanai); computer science professor Tim Mistry (played by Sugith Varughese); April’s writing coach Mark Lin (played by Andy Yu); and professional essay writer Elisha Sinclair (played by Clare McConnell), who freely admits that students pay her to write their school assignments. They all provide some level of comic relief when they say things that the judging panel doesn’t expect.

“Stealing School” has some sly commentary on the perceived value of a college degree. When university official Deborah asks essay writer-for-hire Elisha at the end of Elisha’s testimony: “Why do you help students cheat? Is it because you need the money?” Elisha has this snappy response: “No, we’re both shilling overpriced pieces of paper to kids too. Yours just happens to say ‘diploma’ at the top.”

One of the flashbacks reveals that a Dupont student named Russ Kasdan (played by Vas Saranga), a journalist for the university’s student newspaper, has heard about this confidential tribunal. Russ has been snooping around to try to get information about the tribunal for a potentially damaging exposé article that he plans to write for the newspaper. Someone in that tribunal ends up leaking valuable information to Russ, and this leak might or might not affect the outcome of the panel’s decision. In addition, there’s a room in the building with a ventilator where conversations can be heard from the nearby restrooms, unbeknownst to the people in the restrooms. And yes, there are are some interesting eavesdropping scenes in this movie.

“Stealing School” has some subtle and not-so-subtle depictions of power dynamics that have to do with race and gender. When Micah advises April to not testify on her own behalf and that he will speak for her, April angrily responds: “Can you please stop coddling me? I’m not a victim. I’m simply innocent.” It’s left open to interpretation if Micah would be that patronizing if April were a man.

Likewise, Adam is aggressive in his “prosecution” of April. He openly expresses hostility toward April and appears to resent that she has a cushy job lined up while he’s a low-paid grad student whose employment future is less certain. There are times when Adam acts like he thinks he’s the smartest person in the room. It’s left open to interpretation if Adam feels emboldened in acting like an “angry white man” because he knows it’s more socially accepted than if a woman or person of color acted in the same combative and arrogant way that he does.

Although all the characters in the movie play some role in the outcome of the tribunal, the biggest power struggle is between April and Adam. Their showdown is fascinating to watch because it’s clear that this battle is more than about who wins or who loses. It’s also about how they each feel that the outcome is a reflection of how the university treats students like them. Therefore, their racial and gender identities can’t help but be part of the equation in how April and Adam feel that they will be judged.

Because the showdown between these two students is essentially the heart of the story’s conflict, much of “Stealing School” relies on Tsai’s and Keltz’s performances to keep viewers interested. Keltz’s acting at times can be a little too over-the-top, but not excessive enough to ruin the movie. Tsai has the more interesting role and performance, which she handles capably, because April goes through a wider range of emotions than Adam does.

The supporting actors all have performances that range from good to mediocre. The movie’s original screenplay and wise editing choices elevate this movie, whose flashbacks could have made it a messy film if handled incorrectly. “Stealing School” writer/director Dong and cinematographer Jack Yan Chen also bring the right balance between a “bird’s eye”/observant view in some of the scenes that are in public and the “voyeur”/intimate view for the scenes that are in private. Overall, “Stealing School” is an impressive feature-film debut from Dong.

Up to a certain point in the movie, viewers will be kept guessing if April is guilty of what’s she’s been accused of doing. Although she’s the one being judged, “Stealing School” is really a clever and somewhat snarky indictment of academic institutions and how “political correctness” can be used as a weapon to cut both ways. And the movie sends a message that first impressions aren’t always the correct impressions.

Vertical Entertainment released “Stealing School” on U.S. digital and VOD platforms on February 26, 2021. The movie was released in the United Kingdom in 2020.

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Shoplifting Essay | Theft, Stealing, Long and Short Essays on Shoplifting

October 19, 2021 by Prasanna

Shoplifting Essay: In this essay I will talk about shoplifting. How this shoplifting can affect our community and our society. Shoplifting is considered a crime as per our law. Stealing from someone can lead to prison if caught red handed. When someone steals from a store, it is usually known as shoplifting. Crime in any country is against the law, shoplifting is also a serious crime as this can lead to many issues in a person’s life and to the community.

You can also find more  Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long Essay on Shoplifting 650 Words in English

For many people this is becoming a habit, they steal for living everyday. For some people it’s one time, but if they get caught it can destroy life in a few seconds.

There are different types of shoplifters.

• The one who does shoplifting from small stores every day. They are the ones who don’t like to work to earn money and live life smoothly. So instead of that they steal from stores and live life the same way forever. These types of shoplifters don’t bother if their name or family name is destroyed or not. They just love to do the same every day.
• One who does by getting influenced by anything or someone. These types of shoplifters are the ones who get influenced easily by something. If they saw something on social media or tv and even they want to buy the same thing that’s shown on tv or social media but can’t afford to buy one, they get themselves into stealing from merchandise shops. Nowadays social media is a big culprit in influencing people to do something which they don’t want to do. Everything shown in social media is good, but people like this category get influenced easily. Eg. If a girl saw a nice brand of bag used by some good model on social media, she gets influenced easily but can’t afford one so she tries to shoplift from a bag store.
• Students or teenagers usually get into trouble after shoplifting. They do it but they don’t know the circumstances after that. After getting caught there are some chances that they might destroy their clean record in the eyes of the law and they might get into some problems later. They might face issues in getting to a good school or finding new jobs because every school and employer needs a student or candidate with clean records. A clean record will surely help you a lot to find a good job or getting into good colleges but if it’s hammered it will cost you more than anything in life. Shoplifting of a product worth 4$ will affect your life later once you are caught and your record gets hammered.

Sad part of life is once you shoplift you are not just destroying your name and record but you are destroying the economy of our country too. Because chances are because of shoplifting every now and then the owner of the business might face some losses and shut down the business. Stealing can also create problems for people who are not stealing, because of some shoplifters the owner usually doubts people who are here for shopping but not stealing. They have to go through a lot and especially kids and old age people. So this is one of the reasons kids are not allowed in stores alone and are often asked if they can pay or not. It is becoming very tough and annoying for people who are not stealing or shoplifting.

Short Essay on Shoplifting 400 Words in English

Shoplifting effects on business is the mail concern these days. Because of shoplifting a percent of gross sales is falling every year. If they cannot control the stealing they might run out of business too. Sometimes business or shop owners had to buy equipment or cameras for the store to stop shoplifting and so they have to face extra expenses and not only business owners but we too have to face the issues because of the rise in price to compensate for the losses of business.

Nothing goes wrong if people stop stealing. If shoplifters do not steal anything from the stores the system and economy will run very smoothly. But the irony of life is they don’t understand that they try to steal from every departmental store, from every drug store, from malls, from restaurants etc and so every one else had to face the price rise issue.

So shoplifting is wrong and against the law. Shoplifting will not give you anything apart from humiliation and disrespect in the society. It might be fun for you but for your family its life destroying family name, your parents reputation gets on stake once you shoplift and get caught by cops. Once your clean record is destroyed, trust me the bad karma will follow you for the rest of your life.

FAQ’s on Shoplifting

Question 1. Is shoplifting an offence?

Answer: Yes. shoplifting or stealing from any store is a big offence in the eyes of law. If you are caught stealing, you might end up in prison.

Question 2. Is shoplifting a serious crime?

Answer: Shoplifting is a very common crime, but the consequences are very bad. You might lose jobs, or might be kicked out of school or home once your crime is proved. Repeated shoplifting crime may also lead you to behind the bars.

Question 3. What do store owners do to stop shoplifting?

Answer: Usually store owners are fed up with shoplifting. But big stores can afford the video surveillance cameras to record every side of the store and it gets easy to track the shoplifter who is stealing from the store. It gets easy for them to track shoplifters too.

Question 4. What happens when you get caught shoplifting?

Answer: You might have to go through lots of troubles like if you have stolen a product worth 5$ so you might end up paying a penalty worth 500$ and also if it is done repeatedly so you might end up in jail or prison for a few months and might lose credibility in the market and lose everything you have.

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What if someone steals my essay? Answered

I have the karma required for peer-reviewing my essay here on college vine. But the fact that I am most skeptical about is what if my essay reviewer is also applying to the same school or has a friend who is applying to the same school and they steal my essay and use it as an answer in their prompt instead. How does college-vine protect such an instance from occurring? I apologize if I sound rude, and I know most of the reviewers won't ever do such a thing. But I am really worried about this and don't want to take a chance.

Earn karma by helping others:

Hey @rungekutta420 ,

We've gotten this question a few times before so if my answer looks similar to you it's because you've probably seen it around! I'm hopeful this answer can help alleviate some of your concerns and help anyone who has a similar question in the future.

College essays are meant to be a personal narrative, so the risk of someone stealing work is definitely lower than your typical persuasive or argumentative essays from school assignments. Despite this, we know some students will plagiarize and pass off someone else's stories and ideas as their own.

Here's what we have in our system to prevent plagiarism:

(1) we assign a unique fingerprint to all submitted essays. We use this to verify the original author and track down potential bad actors.

(2) we remove all access to the essay once a review is complete. Only the submitter will continue to have access.

(3) we have an automated system in place to permanently ban any bad actors from using the essay review if we catch any suspicious or flagged activities.

Even with these measures in place, we know that cheaters will find ways to cheat. And we know this has big consequences in admissions for both the original author and the student who plagiarized another's work. If we suspect plagiarism, we have measures in place to work with the students and universities to ensure we can protect our students and their hard work.

I hope this can help settle some of your worries but I'm more than happy to answer any follow-up questions or clarify anything for you if you need!

Woo-hoo! I know the answer to that. Right now, they do not let you cancel essays and there are pretty hefty penalties to letting an essay time out. All of this is done to prevent essays from being viewed more than once. Because of that, 80% of the essays are only viewed once. And if there ever is impropriety, it will be thoroughly investigated. However, I want to validate your worry. It is a risk, however much CollegeVine has minimized said risk. The risk was worth it to me.

did you use the collegevine essay reviewers to review your essays? did anyone ever plagiarize your essay? I'm currently applying and i'm so paranoid about people plagiarizing!!!!!

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Apology Letters , Letters

Saying Sorry: Apology Letter for Stealing

Apology letter for stealing is a letter written to express regret for taking that, which did not belong to you (stealing). Stealing is not only a sin, but it is an act that can lead to legal action being taken against the person who stole. It can also destroy a relationship completely and paint a bad image on a person. To avoid all these things and more happening to you, it is important to apologize as soon as possible to mend the wrong that has already been done.

It is not easy to write this kind of letter because the regret for stealing is so much to bear, confessing it in writing is even worse. One can get confused on how to start writing and the right words to say that will make the recipient accept the apology. Using a sample letter is the best way to make things easier, simpler and clearer. Here are some guidelines to help you do it in the best way.

How to Apologize for Stealing

Do not just do it to restore the good image on you. Do it from the bottom of your heart. It may be hard to show sincerity but keeping an eye contact when acknowledging the mistake will show the recipient that you are truly sorry and not shy. Be sincere by mentioning the exact thing that you did, for example, “I am sorry for stealing your bracelet from your safe box”.

Acknowledge Effects

You already know how the recipient feels about what you did. Put yourself in the recipients shoe and let them know that you understand how much they are hurt by what you did. You can say something like “ I know you are really hurt by what I did and it may be hard for you to trust me again”. Acknowledging the effects is one of the best ways to let the recipient pour out the anger they feel towards your action, and by he or she is pouring it out, you will know that your apology is taking a positive effect.

Make Amends

Stealing breaks trust and one of the hardest things to restore is trust when it is lost. However, you can start by giving back what you had stolen. If you do not have the specific item, you can give cash of the value of the item that you had stolen. Though restoring trust is hard, it is not impossible, you can start small and eventually you will get it back in full. Do this by expressing how bad you feel about what you did.

Earn Forgiveness

It is not easy to earn forgiveness after stealing, but you can if you are patient enough. After you have expressed your regret and returned that which you had stolen, you need to be patient on the recipient. Do not go nagging them asking why they still don’t trust you or have hard feeling towards you. Trusting again after such an action is not all that easy. Give the recipient time and wait for the time they will tell you that it’s all right.

Apology Letter Format for Bothering (Format)

Dear (Recipient),

I am very sorry for the unlawful act of taking (stolen item) from you. This cat has left me feeling so bad and ashamed of myself. I regret getting involved in such an action.

There is no excuse on why I got myself into it. It is embarrassing on my part and I know you are hurt by my action. This is a bad experience that has tarnished my image and I have learnt a lesson for it. I will never want to be involved in such an incident again.

I understand that stealing is unlawful and what happened on (state dates) at (state location) has taught me a lesson and that the consequences are not worth the gain.

I am very sorry about my actions and if there is anything further to discuss on, I am available on {give contact information}.

(Offending party)

Sample Apology Letter for Stealing

Senders Name

Address Line

State, Zip Code

Recipients name

Subject: Apology for Stealing

Dear (recipients name)

I am writing to sincerely express my regret for stealing your necklace last week. I know you trusted me so much and gave me the combination key to your safe only for me to take advantage and take your treasured necklace.

I regret this action and I am very sorry about it. I feel so embarrassed and ashamed about this unlawful act that I got myself involved with. I know the legal action that can be taken against this act but I hope you can find a place in your heart to forgive me.

I did not sell the necklace; I just wanted to wear it to my friend’s graduation party. I am sorry. I have the necklace and will return it to you. Please let me know how I can get it back to you. I accept whatever punishment you see fit for the theft I committed but I humbly ask for your consideration regarding this matter.

I promise that this incident will not happen again. I look forward to your positive response.

(Senders name)

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