SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Theft”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1985

A developmental study of school theft.

Two hundred students in grades 4-8 and 10 participated in a study of school theft. Students responded to a four-part questionnaire designed to measure perceptions of theft incidence and seriousness, personal responsibility for correcting theft, causal attributions of theft, and perceived consequences of thievery. A main grade effect was observed for personal responsibility and consequences, but represented counter directions. Eighth graders reported the highest incidence of theft, and females prescribed harsher penalties for theft. Results only weakly support a developmental interpretation of school theft patterns. Overall, students uniformly report that theft is a major problem in their schools.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Reducing the burden of caring for Alzheimer's disease through the amelioration of "delusions of theft" by drug therapy.

BACKGROUND: Delusions of theft (delusions involving the theft of possessions) are one of the most frequent neuropsychiatric manifestations of Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE: The current study investigated the presence and extent of such delusions before and after drug treatment in a group of AD patients, and the consequent effects on the burden of care on caregivers. METHOD: The study was an open-label cohort design. The delusions studied consisted only of those involving theft of possessions. Sixteen AD patients served as subjects in order to assess the efficacy of Risperidone administration, in the reduction or elimination of these delusions. The caregiver burden was evaluated using the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) before the administration of Risperidone and 12 weeks after administration, for cases where delusions of theft were eliminated or reduced. RESULTS: The burden of care on caregivers was significantly reduced (p < 0.001) through the elimination or reduction of delusions of theft. CONCLUSION: Delusions of theft are considered to be a major factor in increasing the burden of care, and the treatment of these, through appropriate drug therapy, is therefore of great importance in the continuation of satisfactory care in the home.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Delusions of theft in dementia of the Alzheimer type: a preliminary report.

Delusions of theft are commonly found in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). This report describes the frequency, onset, and characteristics of delusions of theft in DAT patients. The sample consisted of 54 geropsychiatric inpatients with DAT; delusions of theft were found in 30 (55.6%) patients. Two thirds of these patients had delusions of theft within 1 year after onset of illness. There were no significant differences in age, age of onset, duration of disease, years of education, or the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score between patients with and without delusions of theft. Delusions of theft frequently occur in the early stage of dementia, when the patients' cognitive impairments are relatively mild. The presence of this symptom may warrant a diagnosis of DAT.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Media coverage of controlled substance diversion through theft or loss.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of media reports of controlled substance diversion. DESIGN: Quantitative search of news articles from LexisNexis Academic, using search strings related to four different types of controlled substance diversion. SETTING: Not applicable. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of media reports about diversion of controlled substances at the prescriber or dispenser levels, through pharmacy robberies or thefts, and through hijackings or robberies of shipments. RESULTS: Media reports of controlled substance diversion indicate that theft and loss are important problems and that inappropriate prescribing and dispensing are substantial problems as well. Leaks of controlled substances from the closed system of distribution seem to be increasing as rapidly through theft and loss as through inappropriate prescribing and dispensing. During the five biennia between 1993 and 2002, these percentage increases in media reports were observed for the different types of diversion: 200% for prescribers; 350% for dispensers; 133% for pharmacy robberies and thefts; and 1,800% for thefts from shipping channels. CONCLUSION: A balanced approach to the prevention of controlled substance diversion, aimed at reducing illicit acquisition of drugs from theft and loss as well as from prescribing and dispensing, may produce the greatest success without adversely affecting the quality of patient care.

Drug Prescriptions↗

PubMed1997

Detecting and detering employee theft.

Physician group practices can limit their vulnerability to employee theft by taking steps to detect theft when it occurs and to deter future occurrences. Steps for detecting theft include being wary of an employee's refusal to take earned time off, conducting periodic credit checks on employees, rotating employees' duties, and conducting impromptu reviews of the practice's finances. Steps for detering theft include routing the practice's checks to a lock box; reviewing cash reports; reconciling check with deposit statements; separating employees' duties; reviewing bank, credit card, and ATM statements; setting the tone for prudent financial management; and reporting cases of theft when they occur.

Accounting↗

PubMed2004

Exploring the psychological and somatic impact of identity theft.

Identity theft is a new and growing form of white-collar crime. This exploratory study examined the psychological and somatic impact of identity theft and coping methods utilized by victims. Thirty-seven victims of identity theft participated in regional victim focus groups. Participants completed a victim impact questionnaire designed by the authors and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). The majority of participants expressed an increase in maladaptive psychological and somatic symptoms post victimization. Results on the BSI indicated that identity theft victims with unresolved cases, in contrast to those with resolved cases, were more likely to have clinically elevated scores when compared with a normative sample. Relatively similar coping mechanisms were utilized across victims. The results from this study suggest that victims of identity theft do have increased psychological and physical distress, and for those whose cases remain unresolved, distress is maintained over time.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1993

Actions and reactions. Effects of employee theft on worker health.

The health and safety problems that arise from employee theft are considerable and should be recognized. Effective prevention of employee theft should focus on employee selection, education, and the factors associated with theft such as drug and alcohol abuse. When physical barriers are used at work sites to prevent theft, work site egress should be safe. Interaction between management and occupational health professionals can focus attention on the relationship between work site theft and employee health.

Humans↗

PubMed2005

Delusion of theft and phantom intruder delusion in demented elderly patients in Japan.

Delusion of theft and phantom intruder delusion are among the most frequent delusions in dementia. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical characteristics of patients with these symptoms. The authors conducted a questionnaire survey; items included age, gender, dementia diagnosis, cognitive function, and activities of daily living. Other clinical characteristics were evaluated using the quality of life questionnaire for dementia. A total of 217 patients with dementia were rated. Frequencies of delusion of theft were as follows: frequent, 7%; sometimes, 11%; rare, 16%; and none, 66%. Frequencies of phantom intruder delusion were as follows: frequent, 4%; sometimes, 10%; rare, 9%; and none, 77%. Comparison between positive and negative groups with these symptoms revealed that positive groups had higher scores in 2 of 6 domains of the quality of life questionnaire for dementia, namely, negative affect and actions, and restlessness. The positive group with delusion of theft had higher scores in cognitive function and activities of daily living than did the negative group. These results suggest that negative affect and action and restlessness might be related to delusion of theft or phantom intruder delusion and that delusion of theft frequently occurs in the early stage of dementia.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1997

Theft behaviour and its consequences among kleptomaniacs and shoplifters--a comparative study.

This study is based on interviews with 37 persons fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for kleptomania recruited through newspaper advertisements, and on 50 shoplifters interviewed directly after apprehension. Our hypothesis was that there are no absolute borders between 'pure' kleptomania according to DSM-IV and other forms of shoplifting. When asked about the latest case of shoplifting, one fifth of the shoplifters reported not having stolen the item for personal use and had later discarded it. A quarter of the kleptomaniacs reported ambivalence when asked if they needed the item in question. The degree of reported impulsivity and a feeling of not being oneself at the time of the theft was the same in the two groups. The two groups also estimated their degree of impulsivity, planning, thrill, relief, vengeance, need, pleasure on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) as well as the degree of psychiatric imbalance on the latest theft occasion. These estimates showed that there were no differences between the groups concerning the degree of planning, psychological imbalance and the need for the stolen item in question. The kleptomaniacs rated a feeling of inner tension before the theft higher than the shoplifters. The same was true concerning a feeling of relief during the theft and impulsivity. However, the shoplifters also rated high on all these items. Altogether, these findings support our hypothesis that many shoplifters, even if they do not fulfill all DSM criteria for kleptomania, may constitute a significant medical problem and should be offered support and treatment. Anti-depressants as well as the educational programmes developed by the Shoplifters Alternatives may be effective not only in cases of kleptomania but also for more unselected groups of non-professional shoplifters.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1983

Deterrence in the workplace: perceived certainty, perceived severity, and employee theft.

The phenomenon of employee theft is examined empirically, utilizing a deterrence paradigm. Employees selected randomly from three different industry sectors and metropolitan areas were asked to self-report their involvement in a number of property theft activities within the employment setting. Using a weighted least-squares logit regression analysis, the study found that the perception of both the certainty and severity of organizational sanctions were related to employee theft. Males reported more theft than did females, but contrary to previous research, no gender/certainty or gender/severity interactions were observed. The best-fit model did, however, contain two significant first-order interactions: age/certainty and age/severity. These interactions strongly suggest that younger employees are not as deterrable as their older peers, especially under conditions of both high certainty and high severity of punishment. While a number of possible explanations might account for differential deterrability according to age, a commitment to or stakes in conformity explanation is proposed.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Alteration of rCBF in Alzheimer's disease patients with delusions of theft.

We investigated the neural substrate of the delusion of theft in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nine AD patients with only one type of delusion (delusions of theft) and nine age, cognitive function-matched AD patients without any type of delusions were selected from 334 consecutive outpatients of Ehime University Hospital. All subjects underwent (99m)Tc-HMPAO SPECT scanning, and SPECT images were analyzed by Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). AD patients with delusions of theft showed significant hypoperfusion in the right medial posterior parietal region compared to patients without delusions. Our data suggest that attention impairment or lack of awareness of illness caused by right parietal dysfunction might play a role in producing the delusion of theft.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2003

Death during theft from electric utilities.

Utilities that supply power are subject to theft of service and theft of hardware used to provide service. Individuals who try to steal from a power utility risk electrocution. We conducted a retrospective study of all individuals examined by the Jefferson County Coroner Medical Examiner Office from January 1981 through December 2001 and found that 8 individuals died trying to steal from a power utility. All decedents were men, with an average age of 33 years. Seven decedents were stealing copper, and 1 was stealing electricity. Only 1 decedent survived long enough to be admitted to a hospital. Five decedents were intoxicated, 3 with ethanol, 1 with cocaine, and 1 with both cocaine and ethanol. Seven decedents sustained electrical burns in keeping with the high voltage to which they were subjected. The unburned decedent died of laceration of the aorta at its origin from the heart, an injury sustained when the decedent fell from the power pole. All 8 decedents attempted their theft during daylight. Items found in the decedent's pockets, the presence of a ladder nearby, or the presence of electrical tools around the body may help to establish the attempted act of theft.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Theft reduction in a grocery store through product identification and graphing of losses for employees.

Shoplifting and employee theft constitute a major problem for retailers. Previous research has described techniques for effectively reducing either type of theft but has not addressed the problem of thefts of unspecified origin. In a grocery store we evaluated the effect of identifying for employees frequently stolen products from three groups of items and graphing, twice weekly in the lunchroom, losses for the separate groups. After the products were identified and losses graphed, thefts from the three groups dropped from eight per day to two per day.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1983

Reduction of food theft and long-term maintenance of weight loss in a Prader-Willi adult.

Behavioral interventions have had limited success in managing the chronic hyperphagia and obesity that are of presumed organic etiology in Prader-Willi syndrome. Thus, frequent foraging for food and covert consumption continue to be health-threatening problems for many Prader-Willi individuals. This case study was designed to replicate methods for assessment and treatment of food theft. A token program based on differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior and response-cost eliminated theft in three hospital settings. Prior to discharge, the program was expanded to include contingencies on exercise behavior and weight loss, and staff from the subject's group home residence were trained to implement a modified program in the natural environment. Reduced food theft and continued weight loss were maintained in the group home and an apartment-living arrangement. A total of 81 lb (37 kg) was lost during a 2-yr period.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Identity theft prevention in the healthcare setting.

How a healthcare security department has undertaken a program to prevent employees, patients, and visitors from becoming victims of Identity Theft as well as providing help for victims of this crime in mitigating their losses. An Identity Theft affidavit for ID theft victims is illustrated.

Forms and Records Control↗

PubMed1974

Theft reversal: an overcorrection procedure for eliminating stealing by retarded persons.

To deal with the problem of stealing, an overcorrection procedure was designed in which the thief was required to give his victim an item identical to the stolen one in addition to returning the stolen item. This procedure was compared with the more commonly used simple correction procedure (restitution) in which the thief is required to return the stolen item. Under the simple correction procedure, an average of 20 thefts per day had been occurring among 34 retarded residents of an institution. The overcorrection procedure reduced the thefts by 50% on the first day, by 75% on the second day, and eliminated thefts by the fourth day, after which no further stealing occurred. The overcorrection procedure was a rapid and effective method of eliminating stealing, it provided special consideration for the victim, and it should be applicable to the nonretarded.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Blame of victim and perpetrator in rape versus theft.

Variables that may affect attribution of responsibility and blame were explored to assess whether societal stereotypes about rape victims still exist among students in Alaska. In ambiguous crime situations, more blame was attributed to victims and less responsibility to perpetrators if the subjects had traditional views about women's roles. The victims were rated as being more responsible for a theft than for a rape, but the perpetrators were rated as being more responsible for a rape than for a theft. Overall, type of crime affected social judgments. Attitudes toward women affected the attribution of blame, but not fault, in ambiguous crime situations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Auto theft-related trauma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the medical consequences and economic impact of caring for patients injured after motor vehicle crashes (MVC) involving stolen cars. METHODS: Presented is a case series of inpatients injured secondary to a MVC involving a stolen car from January of 1993 to December of 1994 and treated at a university Level I trauma center in Newark, New Jersey. During the time period of the study, 1,232 patients (either as the driver or passenger) were admitted after a MVC, 115 patients (8%) were identified as sustaining injuries secondary to a MVC involving a stolen car. Injuries after car theft represent 8% of all MVC-related admissions. Data collected included demographics, types of injuries, surgical intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay, insurance status, hospital and physician charges, and ultimate outcome. RESULTS: Of the 84 men and 31 women, 66 were perpetrators, either as the driver (34) or passenger (32) of a stolen vehicle. Perpetrators were significantly younger and more likely to be male than victims. The overall mortality was 11%. An additional nine fatalities occurred at the scene of a MVC linked to a patient in this study. A high rate of speed and the presence of police pursuit seemed to be related to the severity of the crashes. The mean charges (hospital and physician) were over $34,000 per patient, and the aggregate charges for this cohort were greater than $3.6 million. Fifty-four percent of patients were uninsured. CONCLUSION: Injuries involving stolen cars are common in areas in which the activity has a high prevalence and can compose a significant percentage of a trauma center's MVC population. These data run contrary to the popular belief that auto theft is merely a crime against property, because the injuries sustained as a result of this criminal activity tended to be severe and were associated with a high fatality rate. Restricting police pursuit to only those instances in which other felonious activity is suspected may decrease the number of stolen car MVC. Additionally, the total amount of uncompensated care that these patients receive places another financial burden on limited health care and trauma center resources, which ultimately effects all other citizens.

Accidents, Traffic↗