▁that ▁they ▁are ▁unf air ly ▁being ▁denied ▁things ▁they ▁des erve , ▁or ▁that ▁the ▁ret ail ers ▁they ▁ste al ▁from ▁are ▁un tr ust worth y ▁or ▁imm oral . ▁Soci olog ists ▁call ▁these ▁narr atives ▁neutral izations , ▁meaning ▁mechan isms ▁people ▁use ▁to ▁silence ▁values ▁within ▁themselves ▁that ▁would ▁otherwise ▁prevent ▁them ▁from ▁carrying ▁out ▁a ▁particular ▁act . ▁ ▁A ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁program ▁in ▁West ▁Texas ▁designed ▁to ▁reduce ▁rec id iv ism ▁( repeat ▁off enses ) ▁among ▁conv icted ▁adult ▁shop l if ters ▁identified ▁eight ▁common ▁belief s ▁of ▁shop l if ters : ▁ ▁If ▁I ▁am ▁careful ▁and ▁smart , ▁I ▁will ▁not ▁get ▁caught . ▁ ▁Even ▁if ▁I ▁do ▁get ▁caught , ▁I ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁turned ▁in ▁and ▁pro sec uted . ▁ ▁Even ▁if ▁I ▁am ▁pro sec uted , ▁the ▁pun ishment ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁severe . ▁ ▁The ▁mer ch ants ▁des erve ▁what ▁they ▁get . ▁ ▁Every body , ▁at ▁some ▁time ▁or ▁another , ▁has ▁shop l ift ed ; ▁therefore ▁it ’ s ▁OK ▁for ▁me ▁to ▁do . ▁ ▁Sh op l ifting ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁major ▁crime . ▁ ▁I ▁must ▁have ▁the ▁item ▁I ▁want ▁to ▁shop l ift ▁or ▁if ▁I ▁want ▁it , ▁I ▁should ▁have ▁it . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁okay ▁to ▁shop l ift ▁because ▁the ▁mer ch ants ▁expect ▁it . ▁ ▁Development al ▁psych olog ists ▁believe ▁that ▁children