Children who do steal do so for many reasons. Maybe for comfort or attention; or maybe to impress some friends; or even to get back at their parents. Many steal just because they like the rush it gives them of doing something they know is wrong and finding themselves on the verge of being caught.

It is thought that as many as one in four kids will steal on purpose. Many of these children will not ever steal again.

All children steal for one main reason - it gets them what they want. It does not matter the need, whether it be money, attention or the excitement, they get their rush out of doing the act.

So now you, as the parent, are wondering how to stop your child from stealing again. Well the obvious solution is to help the child find another, more constructive way to get what they need without having to steal. If the child's needs are met, he or she will usually discontinue their stealing habit.

Along with helping the child get what he or she needs without having to steal, you should promote honesty. You can use everyday events like television or school stories as a starting point for talking about things like honesty and family morals. Do not be afraid to sit down with your child and talk about important issues such as this.

While promoting honesty and family morals you should also model the behavior yourself. If you find a wallet on the street, do the right thing and hand it in to the police or give it back to its owner. If you are given too much change at a store, do the right thing by giving the overage back. You need to remember that your children are watching you and you set an example by doing the right things.

Next, watch your child closely - not to catch them doing something wrong but to catch them doing something right. When you see them doing a good deed reward and praise them for the little acts of honesty and kindness you catch them at. This will promote goodness in your child.

However, if you do catch them in the act of stealing something, stay calm and collected. Losing your temper can make things worse or give the child exactly what he or she is looking for - the attention. Also do not put them in a position that will tempt him or her to lie to you about what they have just done.

You should encourage the child to do the right thing when you catch them in the act. This means not only having the child pay the person they stole from back but also giving up a little more - like having to pay compensation for the disrespect and inconvenience they have caused by stealing from that person.

Make sure that the item or items are returned to their rightful owner with an apology and compensation for the wrong doing. If the goods were taken from a stranger, have the child hand them in to the police and you can impose a fine on the child yourself.

If what was stolen has already been sold or spent, have the child sell some of his or her possessions, ideally to you. Once this is done make sure the child does not get back the items that he or she sold to pay back what was stolen. Then arrange some kind of work that the child can do to compensate for his or her wrong doings.

Having the child take back the stolen goods gives him or her the chance to make things right. If the child refuses to do the right thing then you will have no other choice but to impose a more intense punishment. But the bottom line is, whatever you do it must send the message that it is never too late to do the right thing and honesty is still the best policy.

Avoid a long grounding sentence. Jail does not amend hardened criminals, and grounding will probably not reform your own little angel. Lastly, once the whole ordeal is over with, drop it. You should go back to rewarding your child for the little acts of kindness and honesty you see him or her doing. Always look for what the child is doing right and not what they are doing wrong.