The Theft Support Center

Every person is unique, but when you face a challenge like theft, you are never alone.  Countless men and women have faced the exact same challenge and have survived and thrived.  The following guide is designed to help you navigate your journey with the best information and resources that helped other survivors when they faced the same challenge.

TSC has scoured the Internet and assembled links to the very best theft resources: articles, blogs, forums and tools that can help you make better decisions and take action to overcome the range of financial, emotional and other challenges that you face.

As you’ll see, we always welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this Theft Guide even more helpful to survivors like you.    

JUST FOUND OUT 

Survivors Say: Best Resources for Theft

• National Office for Victims of Crime
  
• National Directory of Crime Victim Service
  

The Big Picture

Theft

Also known as stealing, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's freely-given consent. It is a term often used for all major crimes against property, including offenses such as burglary, larceny, robbery, mugging and shoplifting. In some jurisdictions, theft is considered to be synonymous with larceny, a specific intent crime in which the perpetrator has the specific intent to permanently deprive another person of his property. According to the FBI, there were an estimated $5.6 billion dollars in lost property in 2006 as a result of larceny-theft offenses. There were an estimated 6.6 million larceny-theft offenses nationwide during 2006.

Although the average value for property stolen during the commission of a larceny/theft is less than $1000 per offense, the result of this criminal behavior may affect lives in many ways. Financial loss may include not only the cost of the stolen item(s), but lost time from work, insurance deductibles, visits to a mental health provider, and legal counseling. Physical and emotional reactions may include headaches, stress reactions, problems sleeping, fear, anger, insecurity and rage.

To learn more about theft, be sure to visit:

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Your Theft

To better understand your specific case of theft and find out exactly what type of theft has been committed against you, visit the National Criminal Justice Reference Service where you can navigate through different definitions of specific thefts and find information that may be helpful in dealing with your case.

National Criminal Justice Reference Service

Your World

Theft is a crime that can make even the most stable person emotionally irrational. By not letting theft overtake your mental stability, you will be more capable of getting to the root of the problem and beginning the appropriate investigation. Ask family and friends for support as you prepare to begin the resolution process.

To find resources to help you deal with theft, be sure to visit:

National Center for Victims of Crime

Theft Myths

• Financially secure people are less likely to steal. The opportunity to steal is more important than the need for money.
• Most people will not commit theft. Perpetrators come from all walks of life, all economic circumstances and all social classes. Sociologists suggest the reason is instinctive, to receive rewards or avoid punishment. The greater the promise of reward or the more pervasive the threat of punishment, the higher the motivation for antisocial behavior. 
• Theft is just not very important compared to “serious crimes”. Every case of theft has serious implications both emotionally and financially. Car theft, the largest property crime in the United States costs the insurance industry over $6000 per incident, adds additional burdens to law enforcement and health care systems, and causes personal loss to victims.

Information and Recommended Links for Survivors

Take Steps Toward Financial Resolution

Once you’ve discovered you’ve become the victim of theft, it’s important to act quickly to have the best chance to recover your stolen property. Take stock of missing items and contact your local police agency to file a report. The following link will guide you:

Smart About Money: Theft

Take Steps Toward Emotional Resolution

The effects of theft reach far beyond the loss of material items stolen. Many of those dealing with the challenges of theft have strong emotional reactions to the events. It is often helpful to seek help from professionals to restore your mental and emotional health.

• Get Help: How Crime Victims React to Trauma
• Get Help: Options for Victims
• Get Help: Victim's Rights
• Victim's Impact Statement
• Resilience Project

Take Preventative Steps Against Theft

Many survivors of theft feel the need to take steps to make themselves and their family more secure and to prevent a recurrence. There are many ways to make your home and property less attractive to thieves. Visit the following link for suggestions:  

Thunder Bay Insurance: Theft Prevention

Creating a support circle

• Set up your TSC Survivor Profile
• Join support groups of other survivors or set up your own
• Interact and provide updates on your profile or our forums

Insurance Matters

To save you money and time, find out what you need to know about your personal insurance coverage and the answers you need to file your theft claim.

How to File and Insurance Claim

• Surf Rate: Prepare in Advance of Claims
  

Health-care Providers Who Can Help

Psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health counselors are the professionals that generally treat reactions to theft. Health care coverage plans will refer you to these professionals for a consultation. After the consultation, a team of professionals will get involved in your treatment that includes social workers and case managers who may also assist in different ways to assist in your recovery.

For a list of types of health-care providers and what they can do for you, follow this link:

Mental Health America: FAQs

The Emotional Roller-coaster

Surviving after theft proves to be a challenge to everyone faced with this challenge. Some people find that dealing with theft emotionally is more of a hardship than the material aspects. Many survivors panic and break down under the stress of dealing with theft. To avoid this, it's important to continue living your life normally, participating in the same daily activities you've always done. Support groups are also important to maintaining a healthy emotional state. Other than that, educating yourself, exposing yourself to books and stories written by those who have dealt with theft in their past and taking preventative measures against future theft can help give you and your loved ones hope while dealing with this crisis.

Books Survivors Recommend

• How to Survive in the City: How to Avoid Becoming a Crime Victim If You Do Become a Victim, Where to Go For Help
• The Untouched Minutes

What Survivors Wish They’d Known

Communicating with the Authorities

• Bring a friend or family member with you to your appointments not only to provide support but to lend an extra ear to understand everything your local police agency has to say and to think up any more questions you may not realize are important at the time.
• Don't be afraid to ask any questions you feel you need the answer to, even if you may be scared of the answer. Ignorance won't help you meet the challenges of theft - emotionally or physically.
• Write down any questions you may have ahead of time and the answers to those questions as the authorities walks you through them.  Don't be afraid to ask for clarification on anything.

Dealing with Theft: Information and Recommended Links for Co-Survivors

How you can help

• Assist your friend or family member with their day-to-day duties or chores, but be sure to find a good balance so as not to throw off their pattern of living, which may increase their stress as they may feel they are becoming a burden.
• Preserve your friend or family member's daily activities. It's normal to feel protective but excluding patients from activities or decisions you don't see them as fit enough to do or make contributes to feelings of helplessness.
• Involve your friend or family member with others. Don't focus exclusively on their challenge or recovery plan when interacting with them. Talk to them about yourself or make plans to visit friends and loved ones. A survivor involved with others has a better chance of avoiding feelings of abandonment.

What to say    

• "I will support your decision in whichever course of action you choose to take."
• "I heard about…from…Do you want to talk about it?"
• Tell them how much you care about them.   
  

What not to say

• "Don't worry, we'll find a way to make this all go away."
• "We'll do everything we can and spend as much money as it will take to get justice."
• "You won't have to lift a finger."

Things you can do for a survivor every day

Offering day-to-day support is a great gift to give a family member challenged by theft, or a friend/neighbor that has been a victim. If the survivor isn't a family member, help out the family when they are busy handling the details of their resolution process by picking up the mail or newspaper, making meals, going grocery shopping, etc. If the survivor is a family member, help out with chores or other duties they may have fallen behind on.

How to build a support network

• Set up your TSC Co-Survivor Profile
• Create a support group for your friend or family member.
• Interact and provide updates

After your challenge with theft has been resolved, assess and share with others how you feel emotionally, mentally and spiritually. By telling your story, you can not only put into perspective your thoughts and feelings but you can provide hope to others who are going through a similar journey themselves, whether it be with theft, another type of larceny, or a completely different crime.   

Give back

What helped you while you were dealing with the initial shock, legal, and insurance issues after theft? Take a look back at your journey and share with other what helped you and what you wished you would have known/done during your experience. You can create a profile, reach out to other survivors, join support circles or share your story by following the links at TheSurvivorsClub.org. Check out some of the best charities for supporting victims of crime, research or offering support to survivors:

The National Center for Victims of Crime - Support

While you may never recover your stolen property, nor receive compensation for stolen items, you can recover your sense of security and take preventive measures to alleviate security risks to yourself, your family and your property in the future.