Conclusion

Peer pressure effecting teens to do negative activities like shoplifting has been around for a long time and it is unlikely that it will be going anywhere anytime soon. Although teens are aware of the peer pressure that surrounds them, I do not think that many are aware of the reasons why it is so easy to fall victim to it and that  affective ways do exist to help combat against it.

If anything, encouraging teens to pursue their interests and develop them as much to their full potential is one of the ways to help them discover who they are as an individual, not just as a member of their peer group or family. This will help to decrease the chance of them ever starting to shoplift (or other negative behaviours like drinking, drugs, unsafe sexual activity, etc.) For teens that have already begun, addressing issues in their home lives and providing them with support on a daily basis can make a world of a difference. However in extreme cases, sometimes police intervention is the only answer that will give them the wake up call they need.