SHOPLIFTING HAS BECOME ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING CRIMES IN THE U.S., CANADA, AND ELSEWHERE. EACH YEAR, 4 MILLION SHOPLIFTERS ARE CAUGHT IN THE U.S. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO RELIABLE DATA, MORE THAN 140 MILLION INSTANCES OF SHOPLIFTING OCCUR IN THE U.S. ANNUALLY, WHICH MEANS THAT FOR EVERY THIEF APPREHENDED, 34 GET AWAY. HALF OF ALL SHOPLIFTERS TODAY ARE TEENAGERS. DATA SHOW THAT GIRLS ARE MOST LIKELY TO SHOPLIFT BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15 AND 17, AND BOYS FROM AGES 12 TO 15, THOUGH THE AGE RANGE IS NOT CONFINED TO THESE PARTICULAR AGE GROUPS. THE ANSWER TO WHY THESE YOUNG PEOPLE STEAL IS NOT EASILY FOUND. APPARENTLY, TEENAGERS STEAL MOSTLY FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: FOR KICKS, BECAUSE 'EVERYONE' DOES IT, BECAUSE THE STORE 'WILL NEVER MISS IT,' AND BECAUSE THEY DO NOT REALIZE THAT SHOPLIFTING IS A CRIME. MORE AND MORE SHOPOWNERS ARE PROSECUTING SHOPLIFTERS, AND MANY COMMUNITIES SPONSOR ANNUAL ANTISHOPLIFTING CAMPAIGNS. EXTENSIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR PREVENTION ARE PRESENTED. THE BOOK DESCRIBES A TYPICAL SHOPLIFTING INCIDENT AND FOLLOWS THE THIEF THROUGH APPREHENSION AND COURT APPEARANCE. SOME STATE LAWS CONCERNING SHOPLIFTING ARE OUTLINED, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--PRG)