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So, the kid has a mom who prefers an abusive boyfriend so he has to live at her sister's boyfriend's basement, and his dad who fled before he was born beats him with a construction tool until it breaks because he does something that makes him feel in control and you think violence will fix him? He does not respect authority and he does not respect his dad, it's a combination of despise and fear, because he does not have the right to tell him what's wrong and what to do, because authority figures in his life have all been fucked up pieces of shit - you ARE an authority figure and you don't know what to do except to threaten to maim him so he keeps away from the computer. You know what threat would have also worked? Kicking him out since he would be directly affecting your income and ability to provide a roof top for him.
Respect to authority is earned, and you know what really does for eternal loyalty? gratitute and guilt, that he won't feel because he does not think you deserve to be treated right because you have not shown compassion. Get him caught stealing, do not just scare him, have him sent off to a correctional institution with daily group therapy and the like, then come rescue him and talk to him and tell him your story the way you're telling us, and if he fucks up again, kick him to the streets. Physical violence doesn't teach anything, it's the mental process behind wanting to avoid the physical violence to be inflicted upon you that does, and there's more effective ways to use such mental process without becoming precisely the kind of thing he despises and give him more reasons to steal and ruin your stuff.
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