CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THEFT IN DEPARTMENT STORES IN GENOA, ITALY

• NCJ Number: 64445
• Journal: RASSEGNA DI CRIMINOLOGIA Volume: 6 Issue: 1-2 Dated: (1975) Pages: 211-233
• Author(s): G B TRAVERSO
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: Rassegna di Criminologia
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Country: Italy

Annotation

SHOPLIFTERS SELDOM MATCH THE CRIMINAL STEREOTYPES COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER PROPERTY CRIMINALS IN PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS, CRIMINAL METHODS, MOTIVATION, SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND, OR EMOTIONAL DISORDERS.

Abstract

A 1975 SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED OF TWO ITALIAN DEPARTMENT STORES FOR THE PURPOSE OF DESCRIBING THE INCIDENCE, EXTENT, COSTS TO THE STORE, CRIMINALS INVOLVED, AND OTHER VARIABLES OF THIS PROPERTY CRIME. THE DATA COLLECTED AND TABULATED SHOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF SHOPLIFTERS ARE YOUNG FEMALES, WORKING ALONE, AND LIFTING ITEMS OF LIMITED VALUE IN THEMSELVES BUT EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO THE STORE BECAUSE OF THE QUANTITIES INVOLVED, AND THE SURPRISINGLY LOW RATE OF DISCOVERY AND RECOVERY OF THE GOODS STOLEN. A SORT OF VICTIM-CRIME PRECIPITATION SITUATION CAN BE SAID TO EXIST AT DEPARTMENT STORE ALL OVER THE WORLD, BECAUSE THE GOODS ARE INVARIABLY DISPLAYED WITHIN THE SHOPLIFTERS' EASY REACH, CUSTOMER SURVEILLANCE IS PRACTICALLY NONEXISTENT, AND CHECKOUT COUNTERS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN, SO THAT THE SHOPLIFTERS FEEL THEY ARE IMMUNE FROM DISCOVERY. ANOTHER TYPE OF SHOPLIFTER, A MALE JUVENILE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 14 AND 19 FROM NO PARTICULAR SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND, IS ALSO ENCOURAGED IN HIS IMPULSE STEALING BY THE IMPERSONAL ATMOSPHERE OF A LARGE DEPARTMENT STORE, WHICH GIVES HIM THE FEELING HE IS JUST 'TAKING' GOODS THAT DO NOT BELONG TO ANYONE IN PARTICULAR. SHOPLIFTERS ARE ALSO DIFFERENT FROM MOST CRIMINALS, BECAUSE THEY CONSIDER THEMSELVES RESPECTABLE, HAVE NO NEGATIVE IDENTITY, AND DO NOT BELONG TO ANY CRIMINAL SUBCULTURE, BUT THEY DO FEAR EXPOSURE TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS, SO THAT BEING CAUGHT AND ARRESTED ONCE IS USUALLY A SUFFICIENT DETERRENT FROM FURTHER ADVENTURES IN SHOPLIFTING. CRIMINOLOGISTS DISCOUNT BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, OR EVEN SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS IN SHOPLIFTING, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SHOPLIFTERS CAN USUALLY AFFORD TO BUY THE ITEMS THEY STEAL. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. --IN ITALIAN. (LGR)