Have you ever had something stolen from you? The odds are, you probably have. It has been estimated that over 90% of people have been the victim of theft at one time or another.

I clearly remember the time my bike was stolen from my front yard. It was not locked up at the time. I was totally disheartened. It took me three years to save for another.

What happens when you know your friend stole something from you? How do you respond? This is a very delicate subject.

As a counselor for both in-class and online stop theft classes I can tell you many friendships have been lost over the theft of a simple item. It is never worth losing a friend for some item. Trust me, I know from personal experience.

There are many approaches to take when you are certain a friend has stolen something. You could get combative and lay it all out on the table. This more than likely will cause a dust-up.

A much more sensible approach would be to sign up for an online stop theft class and invite your friend over to join you. You never know, your friend might be so grateful for your subtle suggestion of help they may even mend their ways.