Although tests and exams on most campuses with traditional honor codes are unproctored, surveys show that the level of cheating on these campuses is significantly lower than it is on campuses that proctor their exams. It appears students respond positively to the trust that is placed in them in honor code environments. While honor codes are not a panacea, the success of most honor codes suggests students can, and will, respond to meaningful efforts to reduce serious cheating. The successful implementation of character education programs in many elementary and secondary schools is also cause for some optimism. Yet it is clear that students will not, and probably can not, take on this task alone.
Parents often place significant demands on their children to do well in school.
This can be healthy, but not when it leads to parents doing a child's school projects or parents arguing with teachers and administrators any time their child does not receive an A, or when it leads to an over-emphasis on grades alone. Many students compare what they consider to be relatively harmless cheating to the serious behaviors that frequently occur in society and often go unpunished or lead to a slap on the wrist. Students hear almost daily about cheating and corruption in our political, legal and business systems that seem to have no real consequences. Many students have asked why they should be concerned about cheating in college when the message society sends is that cheating is often an acceptable way of achieving results. Taking on cheating through the media For the past few years, the media have been reporting about increased cheating in America's classrooms, raising awareness of this growing problem.