Stop Your Addiction to Stealing by Identifying the Problem

Some people steal once or twice in their lives, while others can't stop themselves from stealing things on a regular basis. It seems that in today's society, stealing has become a regular thing.

Some people steal because they do not have money to buy things themselves, but others are addicted and love the thrill! Stealing leads to serious punishment, such as being thrown in jail and ending up with a criminal record. 

Stealing is still not thought of as an addiction, however when you think about it Kleptomania is a control disorder that may leave you feeling guilty. So, stealing should infact be identified as an addiction.

If you want to deal with the problem of stealing, you first have to identify the problem, look for help, change your thoughts and educate yourself.

1. Understand that you deserve help. It is important to know that you are worthy because many individuals with guilt (including shame about stealing) may not believe that they deserve help. This often prevents them from seeking assistance. You do deserve help and understanding, and you are not alone. NICRO is a non-profit organization that is committed to turning lives around – contact NICRO today and we can help you!

2. Define your stealing behaviours. It is important to first identify the specific reasons why you steal in order to begin to change this behaviour.

•  Do you steal for an emotional high? Do you feel initial tension, then a thrill of excitement that builds up prior to the theft and relief after it's done? Is this then followed by feeling guilt, shame and remorse? These are some signs that stealing may be a problem for you.

•  Do you steal to escape? When stealing, do you feel different, as if you're not yourself or you're not in touch with reality? This is a fairly common state of feeling for individuals who steal.

3. Write out your feelings. After you've discovered what drives your stealing behaviours, try free writing about your need to steal. Don't censor your feelings – everything you think about or feel is important to note.

Be sure to name the feelings, such as anger, fear, sadness, loneliness, being creeped out, exposed, vulnerable, etc. that accompany the need to steal.

4. Determine the consequences. Thinking about the consequences of your behaviours can help to reduce impulsivity. If you have been nearly caught, or have been caught (or caught several times), write all of this down. Also write down your own subsequent feelings, such as shame and guilt, and the actions you use to try to cope with these feelings or remorse or disgust, such as drinking too much, destroying the things you've stolen, or other destructive actions.

If you have been caught, how strong were the accompanying feelings? Why do you feel that even being caught isn't enough to overcome the need to steal? Write it all down.

Shoplifting, Stealing, and Theft: A First Time Offense

Just about anything and everything can be shoplifted, from jewellery, alcohol and cheese to medicine and cleaning products. There is no specific item that is shoplifted, however there is always a price to pay.

Shoplifting is a complicated crime though, and because of this, if you are caught shoplifting you should always contact your lawyer and work with them to solve the problem:

1. What is the value of the item or items that you stole?

2. Were you intoxicated when the incident occurred?

3. Do the items indicate that you have a drug problem?

4. Did you involve others in a plan to steal the items? If so, how many people? Were any of them minors, people with mental health issues, people with developmental disabilities, or people who were elderly?

5. Were you stopped by a security officer or store merchants who tried to recover the items? What happened as a result of that interaction?

6. Were you caught on videotape, or on another type of recording device, such as audio tape?

7. What is your criminal history?

8. Can you pay back the merchant right away? This may encourage them to decline to testify against you.

Even if this is your first offense, you can be charged with a felony. For example, if you have stolen a 24-karat gold chain, or a child was involved in the act, you will not be offered the same plea bargain as a person alleged of slipping a pack of mints into their pocket.

The first thing you should do is ask your attorney to talk to the merchant. See if the merchant will accept payment in return to drop the charges. Have you been charged with a criminal offence? Let NICRO help you out during this tough time, we can offer a wide range of services to you, just click here.

You may be offered the chance to participate in a NICRO diversion programmme. A diversion programmme is a type of plea bargain. In this program, you usually complete community service hours and pay the court a fine. You are also instructed not to commit another alleged offense for a set period.
If you get a second charge, especially for shoplifting, it is extremely unlikely that you will get a second chance to participate in a diversion program.

If the public prosecutor or judge decides not to offer you the chance to participate in a diversion program, you need to decide whether you want to challenge the accusations in a trial or take a plea bargain. If you were intoxicated at the time of the incident, or the items that you took indicate that you have a drug problem, consider contacting NICRO to take part in one of their many helpful programmes or seek help from a counsellor. The charges may be dropped if you are taking action to avoid a similar situation.

The Dangers of Reckless Driving

Reckless driving is a serious crime which happens when a driver doesn't follow the regular rules of the road, often resulting in a car accident.

It does not only mean driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, but also driving carelessly and improperly. Reckless driving also includes driving while trying to text, eat, drink or reach something.

In order to avoid reckless driving, you need to take the time to be careful and follow all the necessary rules of the road.

Never ever drive while you are distracted. You cant pay attention to your cellphone, a child screaming in the backseat or your cheeseburger all at the same time! It is against the law to chat on your cellphone while you are driving a car, why? Because every year it causes millions of fatal accidents and serious injuries.

Despite the fact that you will be seriously punished if you are caught driving recklessly, people still do it everyday... A lot of drivers choose to ignore the rules of the road and continue to drive unsafely.

Speeding, weaving in between traffic, drinking and driving, tailgating and distracted driving are all common types of reckless driving. Every single one of these things can cause a serious car crash.

A number of people including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and passengers in other vehicles can be involved and stand a high chance of being affected by reckless driving. No one is safe since a reckless driver can even crash into the side of a building or someone's home and cause property owners to suffer the consequences.

Road accidents generally can bring serious medical injuries, like getting permanent fractures on any part of the body, excessive blood loss leading to death, emotional trauma, broken bones, spinal cord injuries and infection.

When a reckless driver causes an accident or hits an innocent pedestrian, they pay the full price.

NICRO is committed to turning lives around, why not do your part and donate or contact NICRO today!

Ending the Epidemic of Youth Gun Violence

Something that occurs amoungst our youth more often than it should is the issue and violence and gun violence. Over the last decade or so, the world has seen more and more mass shootings, with tragedies happening on a daily basis.

We know that teens love to live on the edge. The reason they love dangerous and risky behaviour all goes back to their developing brain, peer pressure and their longing feeling to belong to something. In the past no one really took it serious, often saying "kids will be kids", but as time goes by we see that this type of violent behaviour has become more of a common thing that is causing havoc in our communities.

The key to understanding the situation, may be the fact that illegal guns and weapons are becoming more and more easy to obtain, causing fights and confrontations to turn into fatal acts. Back in the earlier years, fist fights would rarely ever result in deaths, but with guns so easily available, each time a violent episode occurs a young person's life could be ruined forever.

The sadness and grief that families feel when they have lost a loved one cannot even be imagined by those have never experienced it. However the victim's family is not the only ones who are effected. The criminal's family have lost a life that could have been great, without jail time, but because of gun violence it has become a lifelong punishment.

So what can we do to stop this bleeding from youth violence and homicide?

The prime time for the youth to commit violent acts is after school and usually before midnight. In the hours after school, there is enough time for a teen to take drugs, drink alcohol, engage in gang activity and commit violent acts.

The insulation afforded by today's interpersonal communication channels, such as texting and social media, also likely carries over to the realm of violence. Having to injure someone by hand may make the situation real; having a gun to psychologically distance one’s psyche from the consequence may make pulling the trigger easier in times of boredom and hopelessness.

Getting teens into programs that don't offer unstructured free time, where they can be active with adult supervision and exposed to positive adult role models, may help mind the gap during the high-risk time of day. NICRO is a non-profit organisation committed to turning the lives of our youth around. NICRO offers a variety of services and programmes that deal with young offenders and parents who are in need of some help.

Funding NICRO and these types of programmes may be a quicker step. Starting youth into these programmes before they have gone down a road of violent behaviour has the best chance of keeping them on the straight and narrow. As has been stated by others, it is easier and less expensive to build a child than to rebuild a teen who has strayed into high-risk and violent behaviour.

Society must, to some degree, take on the role of collective parenting, with each member taking some responsibility for supporting all of our children, not just the ones who live in our own house. A return to the models of old might just have some new outcomes.

Youth should not be ending up in graves or prison cells. They have so much talent and promise to bring to society, as well as energy and excitement that when properly channelled, could guide the future in a positive way.

Peer Pressure and its Effect on the Youth

What is peer pressure? It is the influence of your friends or a single person to do something you do not really want to do.

In the teen years, it is common to want to be a part of something, like a group of friends or the "cool kids"

Peer pressure can happen to anyone, more often than none it happens to young people who do not want to feel left out. Teens may decide to do what others are doing just so that they include them.

If you’re dealing with peer pressure, you’re not alone.

How does peer pressure affect us?

Peer pressure doesn't always have to be a bad thing. It can be influence in a positive way, like a friend encouraging you to study hard for a test, or a character on a TV series motivating teens to pick up litter. But you need to know that peer pressure can also be negative.

Peer pressure might influence you in a number of ways, including:

• Fashion choices
• Alcohol and drug use
• Decision to have a boyfriend or girlfriend
• Choice of who your friends are
• Academic performance

Where does peer pressure come from?

Peer pressure is often seen at school or in communities. It affects people of all ages, from young children and teens to even parents and teachers! Peer pressure can affect you in different ways:

Directly. Peer pressure can be as simple and direct as someone telling you what to do. It might be a good idea to talk to someone you trust if you feel threatened, or if you are being hurt or pressured into something you don’t want to do. You could talk to a family member, friend, teacher or counselor. Check out the NICRO Get Help section for more information about how they can help.

Indirectly. Peer pressure might not always be obvious to you. It’s not uncommon for a group of friends to have particular habits or activities that they do together. But when you’re with a different group of friends, it might be unlikely that you do those same things. For example, you might only smoke when you are with certain friends, or you might be more likely to study when you are with other friends.

Individually. Sometimes the pressure comes from you. Feeling different from a group can be hard. Sometimes this happens when people move to a new city or start a new school or job. This often means having to make new friends and fit into a new environment. To avoid feeling out of place, you might do things to make sure you feel like the rest of the group. When people feel unsure about themselves, they might be more likely to feel the effects of peer pressure.

What can you do about peer pressure?

Value common interests.
Try to hang out with pole who like the same things as you do, this way you cannot be influenced or pressured into doing something you don't want to do. Being part of the "cool crowd" may not be as cool as you may think!

Say no. 
Be strong, take a deep breath and say no! It may be hard at that moment and people may tease you, but in the end you are the better person for sticking to what you believe in.

Try not to judge others. 
If possible, try not to place judgments on other people’s choices. Respecting someone else’s choice may help them to respect yours. Remember that you don’t have to agree with their actions. Focusing on the reasons why you don’t feel happy with the choice might help you to not judge them.

NICRO is committed to turning lives around - share your struggle or get help and support from NICRO!

Teen Boy Tells of "Bonnie and Clyde" Crime Spree

Dalton Hayes, a young boy from Kentucky, confirmed that he would commit all the crimes again for his 13 year old partner-in-crime!

“The look in her eyes at the beach, the way she looked at me...she was the most happy girl alive,” Dalton Hayes, 18, says about his 13-year-old accomplice in the first interview since their January arrest.

“I would do it all over again to protect her.”

Hayes recently opened up in a jailhouse interview…

The crime spree lasted about two weeks and now he is facing 20 years in prison. The young couple managed to steal trucks and bounce checks across the states, from Kentucky, Tennessee, North Caroline and Georgia before getting caught and arrested in Florida.

In the interview, Hayes insisted that his young partner begged him to flee after she said her family abused her, this story was denied by the family.

When the two took off, Hayes didn’t even know his new lover’s age.

“Some people think it’s a bad thing because she’s 13,” Hayes says. “I had no clue she was 13.”

Hayes claims he tried his best to look after her when they were on the run, he managed to always make sure she had food in her stomach even though they had no cash.

Apparently, she was the one who pressured him to keep the crime spree going, even when he said he wanted to just go home.

“I knew we was gonna get caught,” Hayes says. “I knew what we were facing. She thought it was all a joke.”

He has a lot of regret, but he says he would repeat the crime spree again if it meant saving her from her abusive family.

“What I did was not smart, by no means,” he admits in the interview. “I could’ve went about it a million different ways.”

But he says he’s still hung up on her, crying in jail because he misses her so much.

The "Bonnie and Clyde" label that the media has given the couple is not accurate at all, Hayes insists that they are nothing like the dangerous duo.

“I think the news broadcasters took it way out of proportion, ‘cause it wasn’t no Bonnie and Clyde” Hayes says. “It was nothing like that.”

Nonetheless, he calls Bonnie and Clyde “two people that I’ve always liked.”

Hayes faces 18 charges, including statutory rape. Police haven’t released information about the girl's charges because she is a minor.

NICRO is committed to turning lives around. If you or a loved one is ever charged or arrested, NICRO offers a wide range of services to victims, offenders and communities.

The Sobering Facts of Teen Drinking and Driving

Did you know that the amount of teens who drink and drive has decreased drastically, but there is still more that we can do to stop it from happening.

Recent studies show that teenage drivers are more likely to be involved in a fatal car crash. 

*High school students aged 16 years and older who, when surveyed, said they had driven a vehicle one or more times during the past 30 days when they had been drinking alcohol.*

Fewer teens are drinking and driving, but this risky behaviour is still a major threat.

•  Drinking and driving among teens in high school has gone down by 54% since 1991. Still, high school teens drive after drinking about 2.4 million times a month.

•  85% of teens in high school who report drinking and driving in the past month also say they binge drank. In the survey, binge drinking was defined as having 5 or more alcoholic drinks within a couple of hours.

•  1 in 5 teen drivers involved in fatal crashes had some alcohol in their system in 2010. Most of these drivers (81%) had BACs* higher than the legal limit for adults.

*Blood alcohol concentration. The legal limit is a breath alcohol content of 0.24mg per 1,000ml, or a blood alcohol limit of 0.05g per 100ml.

What Can Be Done

Communities can

• Increase awareness among teens and parents by getting involved with non-profit organisations such as NICRO.

• Strengthen enforcement of existing policies, such as minimum legal drinking age and zero tolerance laws.

Paediatricians, NICRO and other health professionals can

• Test teens for risky behaviours, such as:

- Using alcohol, drugs or other dangerous substances

- Driving after alcohol or drug use

- Riding with a driver who has been using alcohol or drugs

• Inform parents and teens about the risks of drinking and driving.

• Encourage parents of new teen drivers to set and enforce the "rules of the road" and consider tools like parent-teen driving agreements.

• Remind parents to lead by example as safe drivers, starting even before their child is old enough to drive.

Teens can

• Be smart and choose to never drink and drive.

• Refuse to ride in a car with any driver who has been drinking.

• Know and follow the laws.

• Follow the rules of the road.

• Wear a seat belt on every trip, no matter how short.

• Obey speed limits.

• NEVER use a cell phone or text while driving.

Parents can

• Understand that most teens who drink only do it to get drunk and have fun.

• Recognize the dangers of teen drinking and driving and that teen drivers are at much greater risk of crashing after drinking alcohol than adult drivers.

• Provide teens with a safe way to get home (such as picking them up or paying for a cab) if their driver has been drinking.

• Model safe driving behaviour.

All around the world teens can get a driver's license, some even as young as 15 can get one! And even though these drivers cannot buy alcohol or drink it until a certain age, they are and it is creating some shocking drunk driving statistics!