Not all thieves are Jean Valjean. Nor are all thieves the type that wear business suits and spout promises every election year. Just as not all thieves are the same, not every thief steals for the same reasons. Some do it out of necessity, such as the Jean Valjean who merely wanted a piece of bread to satisfy his hunger. Others do it for monetary gain, whether for themselves or for others. Others steal as an act of rebellion or defiance, challenging authority by violating the concept of ownership, a fundamental component of the law. For some, the problem relates to a mental health disorder and they literally can’t stop themselves from doing so. When mental health is inextricably linked to someone’s stealing, most people would probably not be mistaken in labeling that person as having kleptomania.
Taking the meaning from the translation of the Greek term, kleptomania, is a form of psychosis that causes a person to impulsively steal things. The items targeted are always tangible and are rarely too large for the patient to effectively hide under normal circumstances. There is no concrete data on whether hard monetary value plays any part in the impulse of the...