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Even if you haven’t done it yourself, you’ve probably at least seen kids cheating at school. Sometimes it seems innocent, like working together on a homework assignment and sharing answers. And if your best friend asked you for the answers to last night’s algebra homework, you might even feel guilty NOT handing them over. But just because you don’t feel like it’s cheating doesn’t change the fact that it is! Cheating is more and more common, and you might not even recognize it for what it really is. Say you’re taking an exam in your biology class and you see the guy who sits next to using his cell phone. Looks innocent, right? But he might be text messaging someone for answers, not just checking to see if he’s got a voicemail!
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So What is Cheating?
Cheating can be anything from a serious offense (like taking the SATs for your less-than-brilliant friend) to a minor event (like telling your friend what to expect on the English quiz that you took early). In general, it’s cheating when you break the rules set for tests and homework assignments. It’s cheating if you sneak a “cheat sheet” into an exam room, or use a cell phone, graphing calculator, or palm pilot to use notes or outside info during a test. Just because your calculator can hold pages of notes, or your cell phone can connect to the Internet you’re your classroom, doesn’t mean that you can use those resources during a test!!
Cheating gives teens an unfair advantage over honest students. Think about it – how would you feel if you studied all night and got a B on a test, while your friend sneaked answers in on his graphing calculator and got an A? When students cheat they get out of doing any research, studying, thinking, or writing. And that might sound cool, but it just puts off the trouble ‘til later. So what if you get to an Ivy League college cheating? When you finally get a job in the real world, it’ll be painfully obvious that you aren’t as smart as you claim to be!
Who’s Doing All this Cheating?
Everyone, according to the Josephson Institute’s 2002 study on the ethical state of youth in the US. Cheating is on the rise, and it seems like honest students are in the minority. Ten years ago 61% of high school students admitted to cheating at LEAST one time in the past year. And in 2002 this percentage shot up to 74%. Still think that you’d never cheat? The study found that gender, personal religious convictions, and student leadership had no real impact on cheating rates. In fact, students who played varsity sports or attended religious schools were MORE likely to cheat than others!! Obviously everyone’s at risk of being tempted to cheat, but that doesn’t make it OK. Why Teens Cheat
Teens cheat for various reasons:
- Pressure to get good grades
- Procrastinating ‘til it’s too late to get the project done without cheating
- Have always cheated and can’t do the work themselves anymore
- Stress (from sports, family, other classes, etc.)
- Laziness
- For “fun” or to beat the system
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