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Plagiarismis a serious offense both in the academic world and in many workplaces.
And high school is a great place for kids to make mistakes and learn about academic misconduct.
Their missteps wont result in any legal or monetary repercussions.
Yet it can teach kids a lesson in what happens when you present someone elses work as your own.
The parents in this story disagreed on what the right punishment for plagiarism should be.
The mother disagreed, claiming that this would impact the sons academic future negatively.
To better understand where the mother is coming from, the dad asked for more opinions.
And the Internet delivered.
She says there are two possible ways of supporting a child who decided to cheat at school.
Parents might approach this issue with curiosity.
Alonso suggests saying: I wonder why you felt you had to go about it this way?
or What might have happened if you didnt?
She explains the rationale behind this approach.
Are they worried that they will be punished or embarrassed if they get a low mark?
Perhaps there is another reason.
This might sound like, You cheated and got a zero.
What can you do differently next time?'
Alonso emphasizes the importance of a safe and supportive environment when kids face the realities of their decisions.
Many of us probably have done it in one form or another.
Thats one of the reasons why people (and adolescents especially) think its okay.
Should parents let it go just because academic cheating is so commonplace?
Essentially, no, psychologist Carl E Pickhardt, Ph.D., writes for Psychology Today.
He claims that the core dynamic incheatingis too serious, too risky, and potentially too formative to ignore.
Pickhardt writes that cheating is the same as lying.
The psychologist suggests emphasizing the consequences cheating will have on the child.
Its not so much a behavioral issue between the parent and the child.
Parents should acknowledge why the kid decides to cheat and let them know the possible costs.
They can explain: How honest do I want to be?
is a question everybody, young and old, asks all the time.
83% of the respondents claimed they think honesty is very important, if not essential, to them.
Qualities like hard-working, reliable and dependent were more relevant than being ambitious or a leader.
Yet, kids who want to be honest and know that cheating is wrong still do it.
What are the roots of this discrepancy?
Most research claims that personal and situational factors override this ideal.
Either theyre afraid of failure or ease their guilt because everyone else is doing it too.
ResearchProfessor of SociologyJoseph E. Davis, Ph.D., offers another reason.
He says we should blame adults who send adolescents mixed messages in their most formative years.
Adults tell teenagers that honesty and integrity are the standards they should meet.
Davis cites the 2012 Josephson Institute survey of 23,000 high school students.
The professor observes that educational success becomes more important for the students than honesty.
Davis theorizes that the solution could be consistent norms, values and expectations.
Achievement and the real world shouldnt be in opposition to honesty.
Check out the results:
