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Bond University Associate Professor Dr Terry Goldsworthy says young people view shoplifting as a “victimless crime” but it often “affects everyone”, regardless of the size of the business. According to Crime Prevention NSW, retailers may experience a variety of crimes, but shoplifting is the most common and can have a significant impact on store profits. Researchers say younger people feel more justified in shoplifting, given the current economic climate. A report from the ABC says theft from Victorian retail stores has hit its highest level on record, jumping 39.8 per cent compared to the previous year. “It’s interesting … that young people don’t see it as affecting anyone – this is one of the problems when you have shoplifting going up – the offenders see it as a victimless crime, they see a big corporation and they think it’s ok to steal from them,” Dr Goldsworthy told Sky News Australia. “Often though it affects everyone – it affects the shareholders, it adds increased security costs to the consumers, etc. “For small businesses, it’s even more problematic – they may not be able to afford security but they’re still getting substantial thefts occurring.”