Michelle*, 13, is a popular freshman at a large high school in a nice, upper-middle class community. She lives in a beautiful house with her family. Her room has pretty yellow walls and her new Mac sits on an antique desk, surrounded by photos of friends, all cheerleaders, like Michelle. Michelle hardly looks the part of a criminal, but she is. Granted, she's never been busted and her parent's have no clue that their “perfect” daughter steals from stores.

"The last thing I stole was a pair of shades," says Michelle, "I was at a store when I spotted them. I glanced around, and when the coast was clear, I knocked them off the rack. They dropped easily into my bag. Then I quickly and nonchalantly strolled out of the store. That's when I feel it. The rush—it's this thrill that amps me from head to toe."

As disturbing as Michelle's story is, she's hardly alone. Despite the fact that teens have more money than ever to spend on things like sunglasses, lip gloss and pens, girls are stealing in record numbers. While exact figures are hard to come by (shoplifters tend not to fill out surveys), the shocking truth is that wealthy girls are more likely to steal stuff than any other demographic.

Matter of fact, research shows that 30 to 40 percent of adolescents steal from stores on a regular basis. Incidents of shoplifting have actually tripled over the last two decades. And, maybe not surprisingly, the younger you are, the more likely you are to have lifted—almost 40% of freshman have fingered some goods as opposed to 25% of sophomores, 19% of juniors and just over 17% of seniors.

And, like Michelle, when asked why the do it, almost all teen shoplifters have the same answer: for the thrill.

Dangerous high. Shoplifting is just plain wrong. It’s not smart, it’s not honest and it violates other people’s rights, property and feelings. And, sooner or later, you'll probably get busted. The consequences of stealing can be harsh—you can be fined, get a criminal record (even if you’re just 14) and go to jail.

But for some girls, none of that matters. They thrive off the rush shoplifting gives them. These are not girls who steal formula from the grocery store so their baby sister can survive. These are girls who take $3 key chains they don't even ever use.

It's not what girls like Michelle take that matters—it's why: Thrill-stealing points to serious problems in a girl’s life.

Which girls do it—and why. One possible reason could be physiological. Raging puberty hormones can cause some girls to act in self-destructive ways. Our brains are made up of different chemicals, like serotonin, which controls moods. If you've got enough serotonin cruisin' around in your brain, you have no trouble feeling happiness.

But if you're running low, you can feel pretty lonely and bored all the time. Weirdly, though, thrill-stealing can provide a girl who feels like this with a jolt of excitement. When someone steals, the fear of getting caught is major—and fear is a super-powerful emotion. Some girls may even get addicted to feeling terrified. It’s a sad and dangerous cycle.

Rebel without a clue. But for other girls, thrill-stealing isn't about hormones. Some girls thrill-steal to be rebellious. They see themselves as "getting away with something." Girls who thrill-steal don't care or realize how their actions hurt and affect others. And that is selfish.

And then there are girls who thrill-steal to “get the last word” over Mom or Dad. Obviously, girls know what their parents would think of them stealing. It’s a way to prove to themselves that they are in control—that they can do something independent, something that would really make their parents angry.

Stores fight back. Store security is coming down hard and heavy these days on shoplifters. Security cameras are nearly invisible. That hippie chick in the fringed vest sorting through the bell-bottoms on sale? She could be a store detective. And once you're nabbed red-handed, stores aren’t afraid to press charges—even against kids.

Jenna*, 14, got caught outside a drugstore with a $6 mascara in her pocket. "Getting caught is so humiliating,” admits Jenna. "I was restrained in handcuffs, and tons of people were watching. They took me to a police station and called my parents. That was the worst, just seeing the look on their faces," says Jenna. "They had to spend tons of money for a lawyer, and I could have gone to jail." Jenna's mom finishes for her, "Jenna now has a police record. So when she tries to get a job, employers could find out.” Was a stupid rush worth all of this? Jenna can tell you the answer to that one: "No."

The friendship factor. Taylor*, 15, says the worst part of her rush-stealing was its impact on her friendships. “Basically,” says Taylor, “it broke up our group.” When Taylor’s BFF Candace discovered she was lifting, Candace distanced herself. “I simply felt it was wrong to hang out with a thief. Seeing her steal made me lose trust in her super-fast,” says Candace.

Taylor’s friend Hannah* didn’t get away so easily. Hannah, who looked up to Taylor, quickly got sucked into Taylor’s shoplifting schemes. “She dared me to take stickers from Spencer Gifts,” remembers Hannah, “and I pulled it off once. It wasn’t long before every time we hit the mall, Taylor would bet me she could steal more than I could. One day, I just knew I had to dump her, and our whole group took sides.”

Girls who thrill-steal often rope their friends into it. Luckily for Hannah, she went to her school counselor and confessed everything. “She helped me realize because of low self-esteem, I was stealing to win Taylor’s acceptance.” What kind of friend would want you to risk getting arrested? If you feel unworthy of positive pals, you should talk to your mom, older sis or an understanding school counselor like Hannah’s. You, too, might need to get that self-esteem of yours into gear.

Girls who thrill-steal have issues like self-esteem problems, lack of attention at home or kleptomania (an emotional condition that compels you to steal). Sympathy for these girls may be well and good, but protect yourself. Cut thrill-stealers loose before there problems damage your life.

Stealing takes away a little piece of a girl’s self-respect every time she does it. Respect yourself and others enough never to steal.

Thrill-stealing: Where to go for help. If you’re thrill-stealing, you need to quit. Not just because what you’re doing is illegal and can land you in big trouble—stealing is a signal that you need to sort out some complicated feelings. And you can’t do that alone.

Your best option is to go to a school counselor, who won’t judge you or automatically report you to the authorities. He or she can help you figure out what’s going on or refer you to a good psychologist. Need immediate help or don’t know where to turn? Call the Youth Crisis and Runaway Hotline (1-800-448-4663) 24 hours a day. P.S.—This number won’t show up on the phone bill.

By: Lisa Mulcahy

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