The
Cupchik Theft Offender Spectrum
The
following items, in Tables A and B, derived from the Cupchik Theft
Offender Spectrum*(Version 4) can assist in
distinguishing
Atypical Theft Offenders from the more common Typical Theft Offenders. (The full
version of the Spectrum may provide a more accurate differentiation.)
The
more items the theft offender could respond to truthfully in the affirmative
in Table A,
and in the negative
in Table B,
the more likely it is that he or she would be a suitable candidate for The
Atypical Theft Offender Intervention Program, and the more likely it is that
the book, Why Honest People Shoplift Or Commit Other Acts Of Theft,
Revised Online Edition, available for downloading elsewhere on this web
site, would be helpful in dealing with the case in question.
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TABLE
A
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Yes
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No
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Did
the theft offender steal in such an obvious fashion as if to
purposefully get caught?
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Was
the theft offender under an unusual or extreme amount of stress
at the time of the offense?
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Does
the offender appear to be experiencing profound shame in regard to
having committed the act (as opposed to having such feelings because he
or she was caught)?
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Was
the theft offender anticipating (or actually) experiencing any major
personally meaningful losses just prior to the offense?
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Was
the theft offender experiencing marked resentment or anger
towards his or her ‘intimate other’ at about the time of the
offense?
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Was
the monetary value of what was stolen very small compared
to the individual’s readily available financial resources?
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Was
cancer or any other major illness an issue either for the theft
offender or a ‘significant other’ at about the time of the offense?
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Did
the theft offender experience any major or unusual losses while a
child?
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Does
the theft offender feel ‘out of control’ in regard to
stopping the theft
behavior?
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TOTAL FOR TABLE Aà
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___
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___
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TABLE
‘B’
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Yes
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No
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Was
what was stolen desirable to the offender?
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Was
what was stolen needed by the offender?
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Was
greed a factor in the theft?
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Was
the theft planned?
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Was
the item used by the offender, his or her family and/or friends
or acquaintances?
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Was
a weapon or threat used in the commission of the offense?
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Has
the theft offender previously been convicted of any other kinds
of crimes or illegal actions (Driving Under Influence, etc..)?
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Was
the item later sold by the theft offender?
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TOTAL FOR TABLE B à
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___
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___
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Interpreting
the scoring:
The
greater the number of: ‘Yes’
responses from Table A
and
‘No’
responses from Table B,
the
greater the likelihood that the theft offender is an Atypical or Mixed-Type of
theft offender, and therefore a suitable candidate for the Atypical Theft
Offender Intervention Program.
Occasionally
even
some Typical
Theft Offenders reach a point in their lives that they, also, genuinely
want to cease their theft behavior,
but have very great difficulty doing so. At that point they also may become
suitable candidates for Dr. Cupchik's Atypical Theft Offender
Intervention Program.
Regardless
of how the individual responds to the items in the above tables, all
prospective participants in the Atypical Theft Offender Intervention Program
should:
(a)
be highly motivated
to uncover the reasons for, and to cease their theft behavior, and
(b)
be willing to become genuinely
involved
in the clinical assessment and/or treatment processes.
Who
May Make Referrals?
Criminal
lawyers, crown attorneys, judges, probation and parole officers, service
organizations dealing with theft offenders, as well as other clinicians and
family physicians may refer prospective clients to the program.
Self-referrals
are also considered.
