If you have been found guilty of crimes such as theft or shoplifting, chances are you have been ordered to take theft education or diversion classes. Court ordered classes are often handed out to perpetrators of petty crimes such as these in lieu of heavier punishment. The court system across the country has realized that just putting an offender in jail generally isn’t enough to rehabilitate the behavior. The goal of these types of classes is to teach offenders why the behavior is illegal in our society and how to redirect or stop the urge to steal.

A general example of theft refers to such crimes as shoplifting, auto theft, and computer-related theft. A person can be found guilty of theft if he unlawfully takes or exercises unlawful possession over movable or immovable property to deprive the owner of possession, or benefit himself or another person by doing so. The penalties may differ based upon the degree of the crime and the state the occurrence happens in. For example in some states, a theft in the second degree is committed if the property involved is worth $75,000 or more and the property is taken by extortion. A civil penalty may also be handed down, where you are required to pay the offended party at least $150 in damages. There are various criminal acts, which can be prosecuted as theft, so it is very important to familiarize yourself with these laws, especially if you have been ordered by the court to do so.

If you have to take a court ordered 16 hour theft class due, there are many benefits to taking the course online. Traditional classroom level 1-theft classes require about 4-8 hours of attendance before you receive the completion certificate that you need to show the court. These classes are usually held in the evenings or on weekends that might interfere with work, put you in rush hour traffic, or take you away from family responsibilities. Online theft classes have an advantage over traditional classes since you can do them at home, at your own pace. You don’t need to spend extra time commuting, money on gas or parking. If you have kids, you don’t need to find and pay for a babysitter. All of this saves you money and stress!

There are plenty of classes online to choose from. Make sure that you don’t just go for one that is the lowest in cost, but look for a quality company that is backed by an A+ rating from the BBB. Also be aware of who is running the class. To insure that you are getting the most current and accurate education, check that the designer of the program is a currently licensed and practicing psychotherapist. Many classes say that they are “court approved”. This means that they have had good success with acceptance because of the quality of the course. To be absolutely positive that the class will be accepted by the legal system in your jurisdiction, be sure to get approval you’re your judge or probation officer prior to starting.

Court-ordered theft classes can be inconvenient and can take time away from your work. Fortunately, many courts now allow online alternatives to make completion of requirements easier on offenders. Take the classes at your own pace, in the comfort of your home, and learn about how your behavior affects your family, your life and society as a whole. Learn empathy and skills to overcome your desire to steal. These classes are also useful if you are doing it purely for self-improvement purposes. Hearing what the legal ramifications are of this behavior might be enough to stop you before you get caught!

If you look back at 2012 with remorse for shoplifting items that you don’t really need but just felt the compulsion to take, you might be suffering from kleptomania. The official definition of kleptomania is the “inability to refrain from the urge to steal items for reasons other than personal or financial gain”. It is considered an impulse control disorder that is so powerful; the individual just can’t resist it. Afterwards, people with this disorder often feel enormous guilt and self-loathing, but they can’t help themselves from doing it again.

If you find yourself in this category, it is highly recommended to get involved with cognitive behavioral therapy. Online theft diversion classes are available as a resource as well. They aren’t meant to replace therapy, but help reinforce, support and educate individual’s ways to change this behavior. All it takes is the willingness to adopt new skills and you will be on your way to a theft-free 2013.

Taking an online class rather than in a traditional classroom is the easiest and most convenient way to learn about this topic. For self-improvement purposes, a 4 hour or 8 hour theft education class is generally recommended to start. All you need is a computer device like an Ipad, PC or laptop that has an Internet connection. Simply register and the class is immediately available on the screen in front of you. Nothing needs to be downloaded or printed out, so you don’t need to be in an office or classroom environment but sitting on a comfortable couch instead. Taking the class online enables the client to have complete quiet and privacy while he or she goes through the class. There are no restrictions on the number of times the client logs in and out of the course and it’s available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To get you started on a path that will stop you from stealing, here are some quick tips:

1) Educate Yourself – take an online class to learn about impulse control disorders.

2) Reflect – think about what triggers this impulse so you know exactly what to stay away from.

3) Adopt a Plan – review in your mind an alternative to stealing that will redirect you or give you a new focus in a positive way. Examples of this are running, creating things, cooking, volunteering or any hobby that intrigues you.

4) Learn Anger and Stress Management – learn how to better control these emotions with new techniques like exercise, meditation and through specific skills you can learn by taking an online theft class.

Online theft classes can also be taken to fulfill employee, school or legal requirements. Just check with your HR department, Principal or Judge to make sure they will accept distance-learning classes. If so, you can quickly get this mandate behind you with a 4, 8, 10 or 16-hour class. When you have finished the program, an official Certificate of Completion is sent to you. This is the documentation that needs to be shown to the appropriate authority to prove you successfully took the class.

Whether it is for self-improvement or court order, online theft classes are available for your convenience to educate and help overcome impulse control disorders.

Every once in a while it’s nice to talk about theft offenders who have reformed and tried to make a difference in our world. On that note, before the year ended in December, a former shoplifter in the Cincinnati area sent a check for $1,000 along with a letter to the president of Kmart. The letter apologized for shoplifting items over 30 years ago from a Sharonville Kmart and the check was in restitution for this offense. In response to these good intentions, Kmart decided to pay it forward and use the money to help some customers pay off their bills for items they had on layaway at this location.

The start of a new year is always a good time to erase the slate of prior mistakes and begin with a fresh start. If you reflect on this past year and realize that shoplifting has become more of a habit than a one-time thrill, it’s a great time to enroll yourself in an online theft class for self-improvement purposes. Honestly, it’s inevitable that you will eventually get caught and a first offense is no walk in the park. In fact, getting caught for shoplifting will completely disrupt your life. First you will be apprehended and held until police arrive. The police will take you in for some jail time while they process paperwork. Family members or friends will have to get involved to come pick you up. Shoplifting laws vary widely state to state but if you are caught for stealing something in the $200 - $500 range, you will most likely be charged with petty theft or a misdemeanor. Anything over $500 is usually considered grand theft, or a felony. You will then have to pay lawyers fees, pay additional fines based on the jurisdiction, complete community service work and complete a theft education program.

If you’ve already been indicted for shoplifting and are looking for high quality theft diversion classes to fulfill your court mandate, www.theftclassonline.com is the place to start. These 4,8, 10 and 16 hour classes are designed for people of all ages and do not require sophisticated computer skills. Our clients agree that taking the course from any Internet based computer is highly desirable, as you don’t have to drive across town or to another city to make a predetermined classroom schedule. Online classes enable the student to login and out as many times as they need to in order to complete the course and at any time of the day or night. They are ideal for truck drivers, teachers, and all professionals who travel a lot because you simply log on to the course from any location within the 50 states. High profile clients also appreciate that the class can be taken with complete privacy and anonymity. The only people who need to know you are enrolled in the program are your attorney and judge.

The goal of our online theft classes is to use a cognitive behavioral approach to improve decision-making and behavior. Students are taught how to understand impulse control disorders and various preventative skills to carry with them throughout life. It’s never too late to learn empathy and emotional intelligence skills. It took 30 years, but the Kmart anonymous donor must have successfully accomplished this behavioral milestone.

Apple products continue to be a hot item on the international black market. While people around the world celebrated New Year’s Eve on Monday night, thieves broke into an Apple retail store in Paris and stole an estimated $1.3 million dollars worth of products such as Ipads, Iphones and Macs. The Wall Street Journal reports that they broke in through an employee entrance and injured a custodial service worker and security guard. The irony is that extra police were concentrated in the area of the heist due to New Year’s celebrations, but they were focused on the crowded Champs-Elysees. The thieves actually had a good 40 minutes to empty the stores inventory into a Mercedes van parked nearby. This Apple heist comes on the heels of a November incident at JFK airport in New York, where perpetrators stole more than $1.5 million of Ipad minis from a cargo building. And, last summer a group of robbers targeted trucks outside of Paris that were carrying the popular products. No one was hurt, but the thieves were never caught. Police agree that the Apple items are hot because they retain their resale value on the international market.

According to Crime Doctor, shoplifting occurs 330- 400 million times per year in U.S. at a loss of $10 - $13 billon dollars. When employee and vendor theft is factored in, the sum can skyrocket to about $33 billion dollars stolen per year! This translates to a serious problem for society in general because the retailers have to take this theft into consideration when pricing items. The lack of moral responsibility of shoplifters effects society as retailers incorporate the potential for shrinkage into the price of the item we are purchasing.

The large population of shoplifters all across the U.S. and around the world can greatly benefit from taking theft diversion classes in 2013! Due to the popularity of web-based learning, theft classes are now readily available online for the individual to take at his or her convenience. Theft classes online are designed for people who need to take a class due to legal reasons or for personal growth. They are educational classes that teach individuals how to understand the impulse control disorder which causes the underlying tendency to steal. Students are taught empathy training, emotional intelligence, communication skills and how to manage stress more effectively. Behavioral interventions are taught to help the individual overcome the behavior, and, all the risks and consequences of getting caught stealing are discussed to further outline the repercussions of this behavior.

Online theft classes can be taken to fulfill court mandates so that the offender does not need to take more time off from work or school to make a specific classroom schedule. We have found that many jurisdictions across the U.S. are accepting online classes, but be sure to check with your judge first to make sure he will accept a distance learning class. If so, then be sure to pick one that is designed by a licensed and practicing psychotherapist with training in the field. This will ensure you are getting a current, quality education. Then simply enroll online and the class is immediately available for you to take at any time of the day or night that fits into your busy schedule.

Tomorrow is Christmas Day and children across the United States will be opening up gifts of new toys, clothes, games and electronic devices. This time of year can add a lot of pressure to adults who are expected to come up with the additional funds to provide gifts for their family to exchange. Sales started out strong over Black Friday weekend, rising 2.7% over last year, however there has been a lull since then and sales fell 4.3% for the week ending December 15. The reality is that many people are still out of work, or recently re-employed and trying to catch up on all the debt they incurred. Things like Sandy Hook and the pending Fiscal Cliff are also putting a damper on people’s spirits. So, don’t be surprised if there are fewer gifts under the tree this year. It’s a sign of the times, not how much your family loves you.

Unfortunately, this is also a time of year when retailers see an increase in theft and shoplifting. Even normally rational individuals feeling the pressure to provide what every other family seems to have, can be pushed to shoplift. If this thought has crossed your mind, don’t succumb! Most retailers now have some form of video surveillance, electronic tags, and have increased undercover security presence. The act of shoplifting is more difficult to get away with than ever before and the repercussions are just not worth it.

In reading the headlines from this past weekend, officers in Franklin, Tennessee have arrested 55 shoplifters since Thanksgiving weekend, in one mall alone! Some shoplifters have figured out that if they line the inside of a shopping bag with foil, it throws off the electronic detectors as they walk out the door, so they won’t go off. However, security watching through video cameras and on-floor staff are both watching suspicious movements.

Other tactics included one person who put items in a cart and then put her purse over a few small items. She went through the checkout and paid for some of the items, but not the ones under her purse. She was apprehended upon exiting the store. And, a few individuals attempted the scam of bringing a lot of clothes into a dressing room and then layering them under the loose clothes they walked in wearing. Security officers are on to this, and are watching people who walk into dressing rooms carrying a bunch of clothes and exiting with little to none.

If you’ve temporarily lost all morals in your panic to show up to holiday festivities fully armed with gifts, and have been caught, life is about to get difficult. If you are a first time offender, you can expect to make restitution, pay fines, participate in community service work, spend money on hiring an attorney to defend you in court and will have court dates to attend. The judge will most likely also mandate that you take a theft class to educate you on how to improve your thinking and stop this behavior from happening again.

If a theft diversion class is in your future, ask your judge if you can take it online rather than in a traditional classroom. Taking a class online is highly beneficial because it enables you the convenience of learning from any web-based computer in your home. No driving across town to meet someone else’s class schedule, or missing work to make the classes. Online theft education classes are available on your computer 24/7 so you can login and out whenever you have time first thing in the morning, during your lunch hour or late in the evening. Or, you can spend an entire weekend focused on getting through a 4, 8, 10 or 16-hour class and get it behind you! Nothing needs to be downloaded or printed out, so you don’t need to be at a desk or in an office environment. When you have passed the multiple-choice final exam, a Certificate of Completion will be sent to you. This is the documentation you present to the court system to prove you fulfilled the mandate.

Be sure to choose a high quality online theft class that is developed by a licensed and practicing therapist. This will insure that the content is accurate, current and interesting. Work at your own convenience to fulfill the court requirement and you can get this portion of your punishment behind you without missing more work or school time.  An online class will help you get through this situation more quickly so you can start 2013 with a clean slate!