A Research Paper Shoplifting and Senior Citizens Essay

Background and Overview Shoplifting commonly occurs when an item is taken away from a retail or merchandise store by a visitor without the intent of paying for it. The offence under the Criminal Justice System falls under larceny/ theft and is punishable with various degrees of severity that can also include imprisonment for short terms. Shoplifting has always been seen as a serious social problem affecting mostly all grades of society and does not differentiate between sexes, age, income groups, race or cultures. As such because of the universality of the phenomenon it is sometimes associated with Kleptomania, a mental disorder which â€Å"involves a failure to resist impulses to steal items that are not needed or sought for personal use or monetary value†. However, in most cases shoplifting is deliberate, pre-planned and committed for monetary gain and is very different from Kleptomania. Shoplifting occurs among all age groups and becomes an extremely sensitive issue when it involves senior citizens, elderly people who are above sixty. The issue of elderly shoplifting is assuming graver proportions all over the world as birth rates decline and longevity increases. It is open to debate and research whether elderly shoplifting is increasing only because people with criminal tendencies are becoming older or whether other social issues contribute towards this phenomenon. This phenomenon is not restricted to the United States or Europe. Even in Japan, the number of elderly inmates in prisons is increasing and a significant proportion of the convictions are due to shoplifting.   The researcher developed an interest in the subject from reading a number of magazine and journal articles in the widely read popular press. Articles in the media take up the shoplifting issue mainly from the point of sensationalism and concentrate on the human interest angle, focusing on greed, act, retribution and shame. A growing interest in the subject led the researcher to read a few books on the subject and to the decision to study the social problem. Within the broad ambit of the issue, which of course has an extensive canvas, there was the need to develop a specific focus. A more detailed socio-cultural investigation drew the attention of the researcher to the problem of elderly shoplifters and the decision to investigate the reasons which could lead them to commit these petty criminal acts. Definition of Problem While the increase in shoplifting amongst elderly citizens is recognised as a matter of considerable concern very little investigative work has been conducted until now on the reason behind the phenomenon and the various corrective steps that may need to be taken to remedy the situation. A significant amount of research has been conducted on Kleptomania because of its classification as a mental disorder and there are determined treatments by way of medication and counselling to treat the patient. A number of articles have appeared in magazines and journals with regard to the seriousness of the problem. Some of these articles are written from a sociological angle but most treat the issue with salaciousness, especially if celebrities are involved. While the social science literature is rather modest, considerable public attention has been devoted to shoplifting. Articles on shoplifting appear regularly in mass media magazines and newspapers (e.g., Tooley, 1989; Tsiantar, 1989). They frequently highlight the seriousness of the problem, famous personalities apprehended for shoplifting (e.g., beauty queens, politicians, and other celebrities), or interesting types of shoplifters (e.g., middle-class housewives or the elderly). Moralistic themes are often developed, showing how lives have been traumatized by the embarrassment of a shoplifting arrest (Klemke, 1992, p. 3) While literature is available on the subject, very little research work has been carried out into shoplifting, per se, leave alone elderly shoplifting, and a number of questions still need to be answered on its causes as well as its effects. The problem of elderly shoplifting has not been investigated at length and in depth and is for social scientists and the criminal justice system a dilemma that needs to be tackled. Research Questions The researcher thus, will focus, during the Literature Review and the conduct of the assignment on obtaining answers to the following research questions. Are shoplifting acts caused by Kleptomania or any other mental disorders? What could be the different reasons behind the commitment of a shoplifting crime? Should shoplifting be treated on par with larceny and theft by the criminal justice system? How much is the involvement of elderly citizens in shoplifting episodes? Should elderly citizens be treated in a manner similar to younger age groups by the criminal justice system? What can be done to reduce the incidence of shoplifting by the social and legal system? The research assignment proposes to focus on the listed questions and through a structured and determined research methodologies arrive at findings that will lend themselves to analysis and conclusions. Purpose of Study Shoplifting is a serious social problem which appears to be increasing and, apart from being simple acts of minor crime, could be symptomatic of different social problems. The increasing incidence of elderly citizens involving themselves in shoplifting makes it an even more grim issue for study and adoption of corrective measures. The researcher hopes that the study will be able to investigate the issue in depth and come to findings and conclusions that will throw light on the basic reasons behind elderly shoplifting and thus succeed in illuminating the issue and possibly in being able to provide an original and interesting perspective to one of today’s extremely vexing and contentious dilemmas. At the cost of appearing presumptuous some of the solutions recommended may be worthy of implementation at the social level or be taken up for consideration by the criminal justice system. Research Methodology Data Analysis Methods This research assignment attempts to investigate the issues laid out in the section on Research Questions (in Page 5 of this proposal), namely the reasons behind the increase in episodes of shoplifting and possible solutions that will help to resolve this vexing social problem. The issue at hand deals with an increasingly traumatic global problem that today affects the societies of developed countries and could tomorrow, spread to the rest of the world. The appropriate research methodology for the purpose of this assignment needs to take care of the facts discussed until now and be tailored accordingly. An article on â€Å"Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Social Marketing Research† by Nedra Kline Weinrich, first published in 1996 details a methodology, wherein a balanced and well thought out mix of quantitative and qualitative research techniques could well be the most appropriate methodology for conducting this assignment   In the subject assignment the researcher feels that rigorous quantitative research surveys may not necessarily provide all of the data needed for proper analysis. An examination of the quantitative and qualitative paradigms will help to identify their strengths and weaknesses and how their divergent approaches can complement each other. In most cases, researchers fall into one of the two camps, either relying exclusively upon â€Å"objective† survey questionnaires and statistical analyses and eschewing warm and fuzzy qualitative methods, or using only qualitative methodologies, rejecting the quantitative approach as decontextualizing human behavior. However, it is widely accepted that each approach has positive attributes and that combining different methods, if handled properly, can result in the best of both techniques. (Weinrich, 1996) Research techniques used for quantitative analysis aim to achieve objective results and eschew subjective interpretation. The respondents are generally selected through random sampling in a statistical manner aimed at achieving a response from the selected sample, which will be representative of the total population. The research methodology pays much greater stress on the technique used and the basic premise on which the technique rests assumes that the quality of the researcher is independent of the results, his or her function being restricted to the following of guidelines. Weinrich postulates that while this technique is effective in a number of cases and is widely used, it suffers from an inherent danger of missing the finer nuances of an investigation and frequently leads to misleading results that are not supported by the future behaviour of the investigated population. As such, while this mode of research may be statistically sound, it could also be the reason behind the oft-quoted truth â€Å"lies, damned lies and statistics† Qualitative research methods are vastly different and concentrate on working with smaller groups known as focus groups. These focus groups are selected with great care but later subjected to intensive questioning and interviewing by trained researchers who are very well versed in qualitative techniques. It is the job of these researchers to ensure that their respondents are able to provide them with subjective and interpretative data, which would have never come out with quantitative techniques. The information tends to be much more detailed, full of nuances and give the investigation a holistic result, which is invaluable in assessing outcomes. A number of researchers believe that qualitative and quantitative researches are but two sides of the same coin and members of the same continuum. Qualitative research methodologies are designed to provide the researcher with the perspective of target audience members through immersion in a culture or situation and direct interaction with the people under study. Qualitative methods include observations, in-depth interviews and focus groups. These methods are designed to help researchers understand the complexity of social and organizational phenomena and elucidate mental processes underlying behaviors. Hypotheses are generated during data collection and analysis, and measurements tend to be subjective. In the qualitative paradigm, the researcher becomes the instrument of data collection, and results may vary greatly depending upon who conducts the research. There are however some techniques wherein it is possible to integrate qualitative and quantitative methods in research.   In the first approach, qualitative methods contribute to the development of quantitative instruments, such as the use of focus groups in questionnaire construction. The second model consists of a primarily quantitative study that uses qualitative results to help interpret or explain the quantitative findings. In the third approach, quantitative results help interpret predominantly qualitative findings, as when focus group participants are asked to fill out survey questionnaires at the session. In the fourth model, the two methodologies are used equally, in parallel to cross-validate, and build upon each other’s results. †¦ may operate under one or more of these models; the approaches are not mutually exclusive. (Weinreich, 1996) Choice of Information Source The choice of material to be used for the research assignment also needs decision and quantification. In this case, the researcher proposes to use both primary and secondary sources of information for compilation of data. Primary sources used will be derived from the information available publicly and information gathered by the researcher. Public material includes governmental notifications, texts of legal acts and statutes and original company websites of organizations providing tourism services.   The researcher has also depended on questionnaires from respondents chosen from within the contact resource base of the researcher. Secondary sources will include information available from texts, journals and magazines as well as information available on the internet. Population and Sampling The research methodology will focus on an investigative study of the data sources proposed to be researched as well as the texts intended for review in the Literature Review. The literature has been chosen with care and will be studied extensively. The researcher has explained the reasons behind the choice of techniques, a carefully thought out mix of quantitative and qualitative techniques and the choice of source of information, in this case both primary and secondary. In addition to all the secondary sources listed in the references and bibliography it is proposed to conduct a detailed survey of persons whose occupations put them in close contact with elderly shop lifters. It is proposed to restrict the primary research to policemen and departmental store security personnel, people who are generally the first to come in contact with elderly shoplifters after they are apprehended and who are the first to study their reactions. The researcher wished to investigate shoplifters directly but feels that it will be an extremely difficult task to locate and   obtain primary information from them. It is with regret that this route of investigation is not being considered in the course of this research study. The respondents will be chosen with the help pf the local police department and with the help of three major departmental stores. Structured questionnaires, detailed in Appendix A will be sent to ten policemen with experience of shoplifting episodes and to ten members of the internal security departments of three major departmental stores. It is anticipated that full twenty responses will be obtained as the researcher proposes to approach the respondents through senior officers of the police force and through the managements of department stores. The senior officers of the police force and store managers will be approached with letters of accreditation from the university authorities and the researcher is sure of receiving their cooperation, once the reasons for the research are explained to them. Data Collection Methods The purpose of research and material available from secondary sources has been used as the base for developing the questionnaire. The questions have been prepared on the multiple choice format asking the respondent to choose the most suitable answer from a set of responses. This will enable the researcher to obtain the categorical response of a â€Å"closed end† question yet allow the respondent a choice. The questionnaires will be sent by e mail to the respondents with detailed instructions on completing the questionnaires. All respondents will be assured of total privacy and questionnaires will be numbered numerically and not by name of respondent. All completed questionnaires will first be tabulated on excel spreadsheets and subsequently presented in a simple table format. Once the tabulation is completed and checked thoroughly the spreadsheets will be erased to have only one representation of primary data. Literature Review It is used to make substantial use of secondary material in the form of texts, journals and magazine articles as well as internet sources for purposes of data availability, analysis and investigation. Online libraries like Questia and other databases are already being used liberally and their extensive use in future during the course of the research is envisaged.. All sources used, cited in text or not have been arranged in the bibliography. The researcher prefers to take up topics for discussion sequentially and use inputs from a number of sources rather than deal with the sources and their authors separately for the sake of logical progression of ideas and cohesion of thought. The researcher has practically no first hand experience of shoplifting, no personal acquaintance with shoplifters and no close firsthand experience of shoplifting episodes. The interest in shoplifting was first generated by the books â€Å"The Sociology of Shoplifting: Boosters and Snitches† by Lloyd Klemke and â€Å"When Ladies Go A-Thieving: Middle-Class Shoplifters in the Victorian Department Store† by Elaine S. Abelson. Both of these books are extremely informative try to look at the problem in totality. Abelson makes the point that shoplifting is not a contemporary phenomenon but has existed from the time huge stores started opening in the USA. Shoplifting was a regular phenomenon and when indulged in by women from the upper classes were defined as a mental disorder with many physicians taking up the case of kleptomaniacs. In fact the word â€Å"klepto† became a much used expression to describe people with the knack for picking up small items from here and there. The shops slowly became larger and larger providing temptation on a never before scale and gave rise to a social problem that would remain and increase through the years.   the excitement, the sensory stimulation, the profusion of goods, the crowds, the unnerving, often illusory, ambience that the large department stores still evoke. As the great bazaars became both magnet and danger to numbers of middleclass women, the shoplifter emerged as a significant social and medical problem. (Abelson, 1992, p. 5) Over time the image of kleptomania as a specific female disease weakened with the emergence of Freudian thought but the association continued for many years. It is only in recent years, however, that the connection of shoplifting and women has been eradicated completely. with the emergence of a new scientific language, the terms of debate changed. The biological image of a specifically female disease gave way to Freudian psychiatry. In this new language, as in the old, women still provided the model of the shoplifter as patient; even though men as well as women, adolescents as well as the elderly, made up the army of casual shoplifters. Only in recent decades has the singular association of shoplifting and women weakened. (Abelson, 1992, p. 197) On another tack, the books proposed to be studied in the literature review have tried to categorize deviant behavior into different categories. Mary Owen Cameron (1964) attempted to classify shoplifters using the patois of her time into boosters and snitchers. These are the â€Å"boosters,† who are professional shoplifters, and the â€Å"snitches,† who are amateur shoplifters. The most important difference is that boosters steal merchandise to sell, whereas snitches steal merchandise for their own use. Boosters are further divided into â€Å"heels,† who specialize in shoplifting, and â€Å"ordinary† boosters, who engage in shoplifting as just one of their many forms of illicit activity. The latter are frequently involved in prostitution, narcotics addiction, and alcoholism, and they shoplift to support their habits. (Klemke, 1992, p. 70) Apart from tracing the causes and reasons for shoplifting, the breadth of this investigation makes it necessary to obtain information about elderly shoplifters. There is very little information available on elderly shoplifters in the detailed texts available and most such information needs to be accessed from contemporary articles in magazines and journals, some of which are available on the internet. There is common consensus in the fact that shoplifting among the elderly has been growing for more than a decade and has become a serious matter of concern. The reasons for shoplifting appear to vary from depression to real need to simple momentary greed. Several studies have found diagnosed depression to exist in approximately 1/3 of the shoplifters studied. Depression was the most frequently found physiological problem. This helps to explain why so many shoplifters steal from stores on their birthday and around holiday times. (Berlin, 2006) The other point of concern is the fact that the number of first offences is also growing and more and more of the elderly are giving in to the temptation of pilfering items from departmental stores for the first time in their lives. Psychiatrists believe that, as most elderly shoplifters do not indulge in this sort of petty crime because of financial need the phenomenon may be indicative of psychiatric disorders and should be dealt with accordingly. There is also the theory that changing social conditions and difficulties in coping with increased expenses in old age leads some people to take up small crimes like shoplifting. The elderly are not only victims of crime, they are also perpetrators, particularly in the crime of shoplifting. The loss of income at retirement and the social isolation of the elderly are contributing factors in their involvement in theft. The raising of the compulsory retirement age and preretirement counselling could do much to relieve the elderly’s sense of desperation that often leads to crime. Public services that inform the elderly about crime prevention measures and provide victim services could do much to relieve the debilitating consequences of crime against the elderly. The elderly themselves could organize to attack their common problems. One activity they might undertake is ‘court watching,’ which involves monitoring how the elderly are treated by the courts as both victims and offenders. (Moak, Zimmer, Elliot, 1988) The researcher will study the literature available from a number of angles, chiefly the historical development of shoplifting, the increase in elderly involvement, the chief reasons for shoplifting, psychiatric responses to the issue, the role of counselling, the provisions of the criminal justice system and common punitive action. The bibliography contains a listing of a number of texts to be used for the literature review. This list is by no means exhaustive and additional books will certainly be used if they are relevant and become available. Analysis The researcher proposes tu use data from primary and secondary sources to arrive at findings for analysis and conclusions. Primary data, apart from questionnaires from respondents in the police force and security departments of departmental sources will be obtained from various legal and governmental websites. Secondary data, as stated earlier will be obtained from the various texts studied for the literature review. Once the data has been collected and collated in an Excel spreadsheet it will be analysed for responses and the data from all the questionnaires will be merged into tabulated formats that will give composite pictures of the responses from the primary population sample. Tabulations will need to be done separately for the responses from the policemen and the store security personnel to see the differences in the perceptions of these two different groups. It is important to understand that the analysis will need to be done with reference to the Research Questions. The responses from the secondary data and the primary data will need to be related to each Research Question separately and it will need to be assessed whether there are any contradictions between the secondary data, the different primary data sources and the Research Question. Responses in which all sources corroborate each other will obviously be considered to be strong and categorical and will need to be treated as such. A detailed analysis of the data will lead to findings that will determine the outcome of this research. Constraints Constraints, if any could arise in the collection of primary data. Respondents may not return the filled questionnaires or may fill them incorrectly. The researcher proposes to pay great attention to the complete procedure for collection of primary data and will meke sincere efforts to overcome problems and roadblocks, if and when they arise. Appendices Framing of Questionnaire The Questionnaire will be framed in a variation of a multiple choice format, where each question could have a direct response or 3 to 5 choices. In case of MCQs the respondent will need to specify one particular answer so that the best possible choice is forced out of him/her. A sample questionnaire is provided here below. This questionnaire is still open to revision and incorporation of fresh details, if so required. Apart from the questions the questionnaire will also have other administrative details which have been omitted in the preparation of this first sample. How many episodes of shoplifting have you been witness to? A. Less than 5, B. Between 5 and 10, C More than 10 In these episodes of shoplifting what were the numbers of A. Men B.Women C. Juveniles (Less than 18) D. Adults (18 to 60) E. Seniors (>60) In how many of these episodes were charges pressed in court? In how many of the cases were convictions obtained? Is the incidence of shoplifting growing? Yes/No In your perception are more elders indulging in shoplifting? Yes/No What is the most important reason for shoplifting? A. Financial Need B. Impulse Are episodes of shoplifting premeditated or impulsive† A. Premeditated B. Impulsive In your experience, do you feel that people involved in shoplifting come from poorer economic strata? Yes/No In your experience do you feel that people involved in shoplifting suffer from any mental disorder? Yes/No Do you feel that elderly shoplifters should be treated more leniently than the others? Yes/No Do you feel that elderly people are treated more leniently than the others? Yes/No What do you feel is the best way to treat first time elderly offenders? A. Punishment B. Counselling C. Warning D. Combination of the above (Specify) Do you feel that the Criminal Justice System should be stricter with shoplifters? Yes/No Location of respondents It has been decided that the there will be 10 respondents from the police force and ten respondents from the security departments of departmental stores. the researcher will access senior officials of the police force and the three chosen departmental stores. The researcher will write letters to them with the following contents Personal introduction Introduction of academic institution Reference to tutor and Head of Institution Purpose of Study Likely benefits of study Cooperation required Appreciation and gratitude. Despatch of these letters will be followed by personal phone calls, appointments and confirmation of respondents. References Abelson, E. S. (1992). When Ladies Go A-Thieving: Middle-Class Shoplifters in the Victorian Department Store. New York: Oxford University Press. Arbetter, L. (1993, September). Security Spotlight: Shoplifting Reigns Supreme. Security Management, 37, 16+. Retrieved October 8, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002195097 Berlin, P, (2006), Why do shoplifters steal? Retrieved October 7, 2006 from character-education.info/Articles/shoplifting.htm Collrin, C. B., & Hiew, C. (1983). Preventive Interventions in the Criminal Justice System: a Process Analysis. Canadian Journal of Criminology, 25(3), 319-328. Retrieved October 8, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=95774187 Griffin, R. (1989, December). Why the Temptation?. Security Management, 33, 126+. Retrieved October 8, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002152732 Hiew, C. C. (1981). Prevention of Shoplifting: a Community Action Approach. Canadian Journal of Criminology, 23(1), 57-68. Retrieved October 8, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=95814646 Klemke, L. W. (1992). The Sociology of Shoplifting: Boosters and Snitches Today. Westport, CT: Praeger. Retrieved October 8, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=24370606 Moak, G, Zimmer, B and Elliot, M (1988) Clinical perspectives on elderly first time offender shoplifters, Retrieved October 7, 2006 from psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/6/648 Sacco, V. F. (1985). Shoplifting Prevention: the Role of Communication-Based Intervention Strategies. Canadian Journal of Criminology, 27(1), 15-30. Weinrich, N.K., (1996) Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Social Marketing Research, Social-Marketing.com, Retrieved October 7, 2006 from www.social-marketing.com/research.html Williams, J, (2002), Pyromania, Kleptomania and other Impulse-Control Disorders, Retrieved October 7, 2006 from www.psychnet-uk.com/dsm_iv/kleptomania.htm