Shoplifting Shoplifting is a crime that has been around for ages. It is also a crime that is on the rise. Many young people view shoplifting as harmless. They see it as a challenge or a game. It is not harmless nor is it a game. It affects the retailers and the consumers, as well as the person who commits the crime and their community. Some of the impacts of shoplifting include; merchants losing money, consumers paying higher prices, and shoplifters’ lives are changed-not always for the better. So who commits these thefts? Studies indicate that the vast majority of shoplifters are or began in their teens. In fact, 86% of kids say that they know other kids who shoplift. Of those 86%, 66% say that they hang out with those kids. Other studies show that 47% of high school students have shoplifted within the last year. These acts are devasting in many ways. First, these individuals who shoplift do so not because of financial need, but because of peer and personal pressures. Second, juvenile shoplifters that remain uncaught often get into more serious crimes. We need to educate our youth with the consequences of shoplifting as a family and a community. One of the main consequences of shoplifting is the merchants. Shoplifting affects both large and small businesses alike. It is estimated that the losses due to shoplifting exceed $40 billion in the United States alone. Small businesses are the hardest hit, as they have a much smaller income. With the added loss of income from theft, they usually can’t afford to stay in business and often have to close. The larger companies often have to raise prices, sometimes up to 50%, over what they pay for an item. Even then, that percentage is not clear profit. In order to fight the age old battle, businesses have implemented many precautionary steps in the hopes of making stealing more difficult. Some of these precautions are inexpensive; however, the majority of them are costly. Some of the more inexpensive methods are;...