--- description: A study shows that most people who steal only do so as youngsters and for a very brief amount of time. title: 1 in 6 Young Americans Have Stolen Something in the Past Year image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [human behavior](/tag/human-behavior/) ## human behavior Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 1 in 6 Young Americans Have Stolen Something in the Past Year, Study Finds ## Video: Congressman Swipes Pope's Leftover Water [Watch (HLS stream): Congressman Swipes Pope's Leftover Water](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/YM3mddx1.m3u8) (0:50)  _Published 2015-09-26. But it's our understanding the water in the pontiff's glass wasn't technically holy since he didn't bless it._  by [Tanya Basu](/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 12, 2015 4:35 PM CUT  by [Tanya Basu](/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 12, 2015 4:35 PM CUT A new study tracking teens and young adults finds that stealing is quite common: about 1 in 6 report having swiped something in the past year. The [study](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016726811500205X "undefined"), published in the _Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization_, found that for most of these young thieves stealing is just a temporary phase, likely because they decide the risks outweigh the benefits. Geoffrey Fain Williams, an economist at Transylvania University, used data on self-reported thefts from Ohio State University’s National Longitudinal Study of Youth, which followed more than 8,000 people who were 12 to 16 years old when the survey launched in 1996\. In the 15 years that followed, participants were asked about a variety of topics, including stealing. The subjects were regularly asked whether they had stolen something in the past year and if so, how much it was worth. Williams found that theft is relatively common, with about 16% of the participants reporting having stolen something in the past year. One in 5 men have swiped something; 1 in 10 women report doing the same. But people generally only steal for a short period of time, with less than 5% continuing to steal for more than a year. ### 'The Luckiest Generation': LIFE With Teenagers in 1950s America  Caption from LIFE. In aura of fun and well-being, students dance in gym of Carlsbad's high school at weekly "Sock Hop" to music of a 12-piece student band. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Cars of Carlsbad High students fill own parking lot. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Electrician, Jack Harris, 16, still in school, picks up $40 to $50 in part-time repair jobs. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Attractive young sales girl holding blouse up to customer in store, as customer is looking at other things to buy. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Young investor, David Lenske, 17, having bought four A.T.&T. shares, talks with banker. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Outtake from "Luckiest Generation" feature in LIFE magazine, 1954. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Outtake from "Luckiest Generation" feature in LIFE magazine, 1954. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Utility worker, Jack Krueger, 19, who finished high school in 1952, earns $2.24 an hour. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Prosperous pay-off of after-school jobs brings Mike Sweeney and Harold Riley (right) with Pat Marsh (left), Nita Wheeler, all 17, to Carlsbad's Red Barn restaurant, a favorite party spot. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Young couples at formal dance dreamily swaying on crowded floor of dim, chandelier-lit ballroom. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Outtake from "Luckiest Generation" feature in LIFE magazine, 1954. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Outtake from "Luckiest Generation" feature in LIFE magazine, 1954. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Outtake from "Luckiest Generation" feature in LIFE magazine, 1954. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Pay in trade is taken by Margaret High, 17, who works in music store, spends salary on records. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Bookkeeper, Rada Alexander, 19, gets $200 a month in auto firm job she got after graduation. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Breeder of chinchillas, Jere Reid Jr., 17, holds $3,000 animal, has paid off note father co-signed. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Sonny Thayer, 19, packs for hunting trip. Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images “For the majority of offenders, property crime may simply be an exploratory phase,” Williams wrote. Once offenders entered their late teen years, their interest in continuing to steal dropped off dramatically, with most thieves under the age of 24, the study found. One reason the young thieves may have lost interest is that they mostly stole objects of little value, only netting about $37.50 per theft. And the thieves generally didn’t need the money; most of the thieves were well off, and being poor didn’t drive the study participants to steal more. One potential issue with the study is that stealing was self-reported, so actual numbers could be higher. Next on Williams’ agenda is to examine the connection between stealing and instant gratification, including whether those who steal have trouble understanding the consequences and why they may lack self control. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4069935/thief-study/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4069935/thief-study/"},"headline":"1 in 6 Young Americans Have Stolen Something in the Past Year, Study Finds","datePublished":"2015-10-12T16:35:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:01:17.977Z","description":"A study found that most don't continue to steal as they get older","url":"https://time.com/4069935/thief-study/","keywords":["human behavior","behavior","Research","Behavioral Economics","Mental Health/Psychology"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tanya Basu","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/human-behavior/","name":"human behavior"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4069935/thief-study/","name":"1 in 6 Young Americans Have Stolen Something in the Past Year, Study Finds"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Congressman Swipes Pope's Leftover Water","description":"But it's our understanding the water in the pontiff's glass wasn't technically holy since he didn't bless it.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/YM3mddx1/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-09-26T15:37:28.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/YM3mddx1.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4069935/thief-study/","duration":"PT50S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4069935/thief-study/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```