Help Your Children Say No to Cheating

It’s all the rage, you know. Even comes with bragging rights. Cheating that is. As one webber proclaims, “I have cheated on tests, homework, projects, and other assignments all through my scholastic career . . . It’s something I take pride in.” This site, then, like dozens of others, requests readers to forward their cheating tricks for posting. No wonder surveys find that 75% of students—many shamelessly--confess to cheating and/or copying text at least once. How about your child? And what example have you been setting along the way? Let’s start there.

Have you ever at least once . . .
.Written a paper for your child?
.Revised your child’s paper to the point of rewriting it? Done your child’s homework assignment?
.Completed a homework assignment for your child?
.Completed or done a project for your child?

Now, if you think that’s not a big deal, think again. What message is sent every time we bail out our kids, fixing this and that, even taking over? First lesson taught: occasionally cheating the system is okay. Second lesson picked up: you can’t make it on your own—and that’s anything but an esteem builder. So, why keep stepping in? Certainly, love plays a part. We want our kids to be stress-free, successful--and love us back. And sometimes schoolwork gets crowded out by activities like sports or cheerleading, right? One student declared, “I’ll let you know when I don’t have a game or practice, so you’ll know when you can give me homework.” Or possibly you feel like the mom who said, “I’m sick and tired homework battles; it’s easier to do it myself and keep the peace.” But, face it; whether it’s cards, sports, marriage, taxes, tests, projects, or homework, once a trust is broken, it doesn’t repair well. Nothing’s worth that—certainly not good but unearned grades. As for our children, sure they’re tempted to cheat in school. It’s so much simpler than struggling and chancing failure. Still, it’s risky business, and there’s more at stake than just a zero. Does your child really think it’s okay to deceive, that everyone does it, so why not?

Find out as you ask your child, have you ever . . .

.Brought a “cheat sheet” to class for a test?
.Copied from a neighbor’s test?
.Gotten questions from a student who’d already taken the test?
.Text-messaged or cell-phoned a friend during a test for help?
.Copied information from a book cover/flap for a book report?
.Copied material from a reference book or encyclopedia?
.Copied from an Internet source, even in part?
.Copied a fellow student’s homework assignment?
.Had a fellow student do an assignment for you?

Any surprises?

When asked, students’ heads nod up and down; hands go up—some even proudly. I’m told that cheat sheets are hidden under tests, notebooks, even over-sized band-aids and watches, with notations written between fingers, even thighs covered by skirts. And typed in font size 6, notes are stuffed up sleeves and into eyeglass cases, calculator lids, even cleaned our White-Out bottles. Why go to such trouble? Answers include: “I forgot to study;” “If I flunk, I’m off the team;” and, “I don’t want to disappoint my parents.” Disappointed yet? And we haven’t even gotten to the high-tech possibilities!

In this text-messaging, chat room age, camera phones, PDA’s, and MP3 players all serve cheaters well. Then there are websites touting classroom-tested cheating tricks, such as www.cheathouse.com and www.cheater.com. Others sell essays and reports for a few bucks, such as www.termpapers-on-file.com and www.ezwrite.com. Even parents’ fax machines are in on it. Can you think of a faster way for me to get your homework to copy? But we teachers are on the alert now, and we’re not so trusting anymore. Kids are now often required to do all their writing in class, and we walk the room during tests. We’re double-checking everything, while also teaching lessons on integrity, imposing honor codes, and enlisting parental support. Moreover, we have some high-tech tricks of our own that you should know about, too. Wondering if that’s really your child’s writing? Type a suspicious phrase into Google, and, if copied, you’ll find the source. Or turn to such sites as, www.turnitin.com, www.plagiarism.com, and www.softwaresecure.com. But the best advice ever is to model the behavior you want to see in your child. Be a guide; don’t take over. Success must be earned; self-esteem is built on hard work and achievement.

About the Author: