I stole my classmates' homework

Something's been nagging at me for years. It happened in junior high; I was fourteen. I wasn't the type of kid who normally acted out or did wild and crazy things. I was pretty withdrawn and shy. For the most part I was a nice kid, but at one point I developed this bizarre habit of stealing my classmates' homework. I'm not sure why - it became sort of a compulsion; a type of kleptomania I guess. I didn't even use their homework to copy off of, I just took it and threw it in the trash. I was never caught doing it. If I had been, I probably would've gotten in serious trouble, possibly even expelled.
Fortunately I outgrew this phase. One day I just sort of realized how serious it was, and began learning to control my impulses. In order to clear my conscience, I considered going and telling the principal what I had done, but ultimately I never did. Looking back, I think I was right not to. I mean, what purpose would that have served? I think he probably would've just as soon not known about it if he didn't absolutely have to. The most important thing was I didn't do it again.
At some point later, I did a couple nice things for those people whose homework I'd stolen, without telling them why.
Do others think I should have told the principal or one of the teachers what I did?

No, I don't think you should have told anyone. The reason for not stealing homework is because the aim of homework is to prove that you've learned something for yourself. You didn't copy from this homework so I'd agree that it's more like compulsive behaviour than actual cheating. There must have been some gain to you in it, but it seems like it would have been an emotional gain rather than an academic one.

You've made amends by the nice things you did for those people. Unless there were more serious consequences for them in this, I don't think anything else is needed. The only reason for telling would have been if you hadn't been able to stop. Or if it had morphed and you were stealing something else. Otherwise, I would chalk this up to "weird things that happen to teenagers" and leave it at that.

Ada wrote:The reason for not stealing homework is because the aim of homework is to prove that you've learned something for yourself.

I used to think something similar to this when I was still in school, although my thoughts toward school have changed somewhat. Now I'm leaning toward the idea that homework acts as a training exercise for students to condition them to complete assignments on time as well as a future barometer of how well a individual completes assignments tasked to him or her. I always did my homework by myself, but throughout grade school, high school, and secondary school, it never seemed like teachers weren't particularly strict about forcing students to do their own homework. What was important was that you completed the assignment through any means and not that you necessarily learned something. This only occurred to me however when I entered the work force where results instead of method used is valued. Looking back, part of my education might have been learning to cheat and get away with it and I missed the point by trying to do things honestly all of the time.

I agree that there was no reason to tell a principal or teacher what you were doing.

Nope. Don't think you should've told anyone. As you rightfully mentioned, that would've served no purpose. If that's the only thing that bothers you about the past, you can completely let go

You should have turned yourself in, *removed by mod*