Which statement is NOT generally required to prove theft?

• A. Taking property of another
• B. Without permission
• C. With intent to permanently deprive
• D. Force or violence during the taking

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that theft is about taking property that belongs to someone else without their permission and with the intent to permanently deprive them of it. You don’t need to use force or violence to prove theft. A thief can slip away with an item, conceal it, or otherwise take it without confronting the owner, and the act still constitutes theft as long as the other elements are present.

Force or violence during the taking, however, moves the crime into a different category—robbery—because robbery depends on taking by force, intimidation, or threat from the person who has the property. So while theft can be proven with just taking, ownership, lack of consent, and intent to deprive, force or violence is not a required element for theft and typically signals a more serious offense.