If I am asked if I were arrested...should I say yes, no, sort of ? It seems a bit confusing.
I doubt you'll be asked if you have ever been arrested; they may ask if you've ever been convicted of a crime to which the answer is clearly "yes." You then have an opportunity to explain that when you were young and foolish, you were caught shoplifting - and that you learned a lesson the hard way and never did anything that stupid again.

