Kids and Cheating
What is cheating?
Cheating is commonly defined as when a person misleads,
deceives, or acts dishonestly on purpose. Cheating comes in
many forms:
- iPods and other MP3 players can be loaded with test
answers instead of music.
- Cell phones can access the Web to look up answers.
- Students can purchase work such as term papers on the
Internet.
- Some students use crib notes. They sneak answers in on
their hand, a piece of paper, or the bill of a baseball
cap.
- Children may copy someone else's work or answers.
One survey showed that 80% of students admitted to cheating
at least once. Many educators believe that cheating has
become an epidemic. In the age of school shootings and drug
abuse, cheating is now seen as only a minor offense in
comparison. However, the consequences of cheating can be
serious and have long lasting effects on self esteem and
achievement.
Why do kids cheat?
Most kids will tell you that they know cheating is wrong.
While there is really no "good reason" for cheating,
understanding why children cheat can help parents begin to
help their kids make better choices. There are probably as
many excuses for cheating as there are kids who cheat, but
the following is a list of the most common excuses kids give
for cheating:
- Trying to please parents or teachers. Kids may fear the
results of getting poor grades and cheat in order not to
get in trouble, or to make their parents happy.
- With increased competition and harder coursework,
students may feel they have no choice but to cheat. Kids
may feel a great deal of pressure to get good grades so
they can get scholarships or to be accepted into a good
college or grad school.
- "Everyone else is doing it." When kids see other kids
cheating and not getting caught, it could make them
question the importance of honestly.
- "School is hard." Cheating offers an easy way out.
- Feeling overwhelmed with school work and extracurricular
activities. Many kids are so overloaded with activities
they don't think they have time to study.
- Children don't like to lose. Learning how to lose is a
hard lesson.
What are the consequences of cheating?
The consequences of cheating can be difficult to for a child
to understand. Many times the perceived positives of
cheating can seem to outweigh the negatives. It is very
important to talk to your kids about cheating before it
becomes a problem. Here are some messages to give your
children:
- Cheating will ultimately lower your self-respect.
- It isn't fair to the other students who don't cheat.
- People lose respect for people who cheat and think less
of them.
- If you find it easy to cheat now in school, you may find
it easier to cheat in other situations in life.
- Cheating violates the teachers trust.
- Cheating is a lie. It makes people believe you know more
than you actually know.
- You'll never how well you could have done without
cheating. It robs you of your self-confidence.
- You may feel worried about getting caught and feel
guilty, embarrassed, or ashamed.
- Students who get caught cheating face serious
consequences. Cheating kids can get in big trouble at
school and at home.
- In the end, you cheat yourself. You cheat yourself out
of learning and out of giving yourself a chance to see
how good you can really do.
What can parents do?
- Discuss what cheating is. Very young children don't
understand what cheating is, but by the time they are in
elementary school they can understand the meaning of
concepts like right, wrong, and fair. Have a
discussion about what your expectations are. Review the
school policy on cheating. Let them know that cheating
is unacceptable. Its best if you can have this
discussion before cheating becomes a problem.
- Discuss why cheating is wrong and emphasize the negative
consequences of cheating. Ignoring the problem gives
them the message that it's OK.
- If you discover that your child has cheated, find out
why. You can just come right out and ask. It could be
there is something troubling him. If you find out the
reason you child is cheating is a personal one, not only
try to help them with the problem, but also let the
teacher know what is going on.
- Remember that children are not "bad" just because they
cheated. Let them know that you're disappointed with
them, but that you still love them and that you're there
to help.
- Be an example. If your kids see you cheating on small
things, like playing a game, cheating on your taxes, or
not being honest with the clerk at the grocery store, you
are giving them the message that cheating is OK. Make
honesty a priority in your house.
- Don't put too much pressure on getting good grades. Let
them know that learning and doing their best are more
important than earning good grades. Praise them for
persistence and attitude. When at a sporting event,
compliment the sportsmanship and the effort of the
players rather than focusing on who won or lost.
- Get involved in the learning process. Ask to see their
schoolwork. Talk about what they're learning. Help them
with their homework but don't do it for them or give them
the answers. Spend time with them doing fun activities,
not just educational activities.
- Find ways for your child to feel competent in other areas
of their life. The more self confident they feel, the
less they'll need to win or achieve to build their self
esteem.
- Discuss peer pressure. Teach them ways to resist.
Repeat this discussion regularly.
- Look for ways the school can help promote the concepts of
learning rather than just focusing on achievement.
Establish a relationship with the teachers. Work with
the schools to promote changes if you think that is
necessary. Talk to the teachers about how to help your
child feel successful without feeling the need to
cheating.
What can teachers do?
- Schools need to have a cheating policy and talk about it
often.
- Focus on learning and not just on achievement. Because
of the pressure of state mandated standardized test, many
teachers are feeling forced to teach to the test instead
of teaching a child how to think.
- Schools need to monitor cheating. Be alert to all the
new forms of cheating that are available through
technology. There are some computer programs that
actually help a teacher detect plagiarism. Forbid cell
phones, PDA's, and iPods in exam rooms.
- Some schools have established an honor code or a code of
ethics. They have school assemblies discussing the
importance of honor, and even have each student sign a
code of ethics.
Parents or other caregivers are the strongest influence on
the child. Tell your child often how proud you are of them
and how much you appreciate them, even when they make
mistakes. Find ways to fill children with a love of
learning.
Written by Judith J. Becerra, MS, LPC.
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information is intended to inform and educate and is not a
replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
Copyright © 2006 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.