This paper compares two groups of adult female offenders involved in shoplifting and fraudulent behaviour. Twenty women were studied whose first offenses occurred in their mid-life period. The major findings conclude that an unresolved mourning or loss in the context of high stress and depression is one of the commonalities in the two groups. Another commonality is that a defined classical role for these women is conflictual and the relationship established with their spouses is a repetition of their relationship with their father. The authors suggest that these types of acting out in general are a depressive equivalent, and a larger sample could duplicate the findings and collect more precise data about the nature of the relationship in the family of origin to help these women feel better in their social role.