The answer to that question is easy: YES! But do our teens believe that and why are so many of them cheating, especially on standardized tests?

I watched a news program last night chronicling a cheating scandal. Last week I heard a story about someone who figured out an anomaly in standardized tests to get a perfect score. In each of these instances, their cheating was never discovered and they went on to go to college.

These stories made me wonder—why are our teens cheating? Is it pressure to achieve standards that are unattainable? Is the peer pressure over college so overwhelming that they will do anything to excel over their fellow students? Or is it just easy to do because there are no consequences?

A recent poll

According to a recent ABC News poll of 12-17 year olds, cheating among teens is “widespread if not endemic. And it usually works.” Here are the results from the poll:

• 7 in 10 say at least some kids in their school cheat on tests
• 6 in 10 have friends who have cheated
• 1 in 3 says they themselves have cheated
• 1 in 8 say “most” kids in their school cheat on tests
• Among 12-14 year olds, 23 percent admit to cheating
• Among 15 year olds, 36 percent admit to cheating
• Among 16-17 year olds, 43 percent admit to cheating
• 8 percent believe that in order to get ahead in life you have to cheat from time to time
• 90 percent say cheaters will lose out in the long run
• 96 percent say their parents would rather have them do their own best work, regardless of the grade, than get good grades if it means cheating.
• Most say cheaters don’t get caught
• Nearly all teens in the survey said cheating was wrong

The survey also found that teens who hang out with cheaters are more likely to be tempted to cheat and cheat themselves.

The parent factor

Interestingly, communication on the issue is in short supply: just 1/3 of kids say they and their parents have had a serious discussion about cheating. Kids who have spoken about it with parents are no less likely to have cheated than those who haven’t. Still those who are the most likely to say they’ve cheated (16-17 year olds) are the least likely to say they have talked about the issue with their parents. Just 27 percent say they have done so, compared with 41 percent of 12-13 year olds.

Deterrents

Rather than a serious talk from parents, teens say that better teacher involvement and greater risk of getting caught could serve as deterrents. One third of the teens say they would be more likely to cheat if they knew they would never get caught, suggesting better enforcement could help curb the practice.

In a seemingly related result, almost as many teens, nearly three in 10, say they’d be more likely to cheat if they had a teacher who didn’t seem to care about their work. Teachers who develop student loyalty — as well as those who guard against cheating — also may be better-equipped to prevent it.

Grade pressure seems less a consideration. Fewer, 14 percent, say they’d be more apt to cheat if they thought other students were cheating and by being honest they’d get a lower grade. About as many, 16 percent, say they’d be more apt to cheat in a class they thought didn’t matter as far as their future.

No consequences

It’s clear from the survey that consequences play a huge role in the decision to cheat. As long as you don’t get caught, it’s ok to do it. The real problem is that cheating teens usually grow up to become cheating adults—they got away with it in school; they can get away with it as adults.

At the very least, parents should be talking to their teens about cheating. Here’s a good list of 10 reasons why cheating is wrong. I especially like #8 and #10.