Is Cheating Bad For You In Games

Cheating in video games has always been considered illegal, but it is only considered illegal in the law if there is a bill passed that limits cheating. Sometimes, cheating will be illegal in video games because it violates the terms of service - which is what the user agrees to before starting the game. Benefits of Cheating at School. Cheating homework is one of the important skills that a pupil develops in an elementary school. It's easy for an adult, but very difficult for a child. Pupils should focus on writing letters, but at the same time, they should remember the whole word. In order to write down the text without errors, you need to. Guilt is one reason not to do bad things. It is built into the human being. People who are extreme criminals have guilt also, yet they bury the feeling and ignore it with great bravado.

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By/Feb. 1, 2017 9:00 am EST/Updated: July 16, 2020 6:31 pm EST

Have you ever wondered if your man is cheating on you? While there are many different reasons and root causes behind why men cheat, including a lack of self-esteem, a search for validation, emotional and/or physical dissatisfaction, in addition to sheer lust or love for another person, an unfaithful partner can be devastating for any relationship. After all, if your goal is to have a healthy, successful, and long-lasting connection, being able to fully trust your partner is at the very heart of letting him into your heart. So if you suspect that he's cheating on you, it's important to look for these 13 clear-cut warning signs of an unfaithful man. Consider this your cheat sheet.

He acts out of character

You probably know your man backwards and forwards. You know how he acts when he's happy, when he's angry, when he's stressed, when he's tired, when he's bored, and even when he's hungry. However, one of the defining characteristics of a cheating man is that he acts out of character, and his once typical and predictable behaviors, actions, and routines start to switch. For instance, perhaps he'd always be glued to the television during football games refusing to miss a play, but now he's off in the other room with the door closed. Or maybe he used to look forward to hosting dinner parties and game nights at your place, but now he doesn't want people coming over. You may even notice subtler changes, such as when and where he charges his phone, the amount of time he spends in the bathroom, and an increased length in his commute to and from work. Since you know how your man typically behaves in many situations and have clear insight into the different nuances of his personality, any deviations from this norm should be a wake-up call that he may be unfaithful.

He cares more about his appearance

Since one of the major indicators of an unfaithful man is changes in his behavior, this is even more apparent when it comes to his focus on his appearance. Is your man suddenly very concerned with his looks when he previously couldn't have cared less? Does he now buy designer clothing, wear pricey cologne, and/or place a huge emphasis on working out when this never even crossed his mind in the past? When your man suddenly becomes extremely interested in – or even obsessed with – his appearance, such as dying his hair, getting spray tans, whitening his teeth, and even getting plastic surgery, this personality shift out of left field can indicate that your man may be playing the field. And while some of these changes can appear positive at first, when your man's intense focus on his looks seems to happen from out of nowhere and he hasn't filled you in as to why, this might mean that something's happening behind your back. After all, when it comes to making significant modifications in personal priorities and behaviors, there's typically an inspiration or incentive that's motivating this change in the first place. And if you can't account for the reasons behind your guy's personality shift, you're not wrong to suspect that something shifty is occurring.

He's overly complimentary

While it may seem counterintuitive, another sign of a cheating man is that he's overly complimentary of you. And while this extra praise, attention, and admiration may make you feel incredible, too much of it should raise a red flag. Why is he now so inclined to incessantly shower you with compliments? Was he always so flattering and appreciative of every little thing you did? When his praise for you becomes excessive and over-the-top, he might be attempting to throw you off the scent so you'd never surmise that he was cheating. To that end, this overly complimentary nature is also a tactic that he may use in front of your friends and family in the hopes that no one would ever suspect that he was doing anything behind your back. In addition, when it comes to this type of personality shift in which your man suddenly becomes a compliment-spewing machine, it's important to keep in mind that this behavior may stem from guilt. In fact, one survey revealed that 66% of unfaithful men feel guilty about cheating. So in reality, by attempting to make you feel good with his constant praise, he's actually trying to make himself feel less bad about his actions. And if he can convince you and your peers about what a terrific guy he is, then maybe he'll be able to convince himself of this as well.

He acts more distant

On the flip side, another powerful indicator that your man is cheating is that he pulls away from you and the life that you have together. Do you feel as though he's stopped paying attention to you and constantly ignores you? Perhaps he used to make you a top priority, always listening to you, supporting you, and being fully engaged in what you were doing and saying. But now, it seems as though he couldn't care less about your needs, wants, and desires. To that end, he's also completely distracted and disinterested in the people, activities, and pastimes that used to matter to him. It's not surprising to find that when men cheat, they're so busy directing their energy, attention, and focus elsewhere, namely to themselves and the other person who's now in the picture, that they become less interested, concerned, and invested in you, your well-being, and the events in your life as a couple. Maybe you've had to repeat yourself on multiple occasions, or perhaps you sense that your guy isn't entirely present, even when you're together. If your partner is acting distant, it's not a far-off possibility that he may be cheating on you.

He's less intimate with you

To that end, this type of distance is not only emotional, but physical as well. If you've noticed that your once healthy and blooming sexual relationship has become a thing of the past, this behavior can also be indicative of a cheater. In fact, it's been found that even when some men are in happy and fulfilling relationships, they still have a proclivity to cheat. With this in mind, if your once frequent and fulfilling intimate time together now occurs less often and/or your partner seems rushed, distracted, and disinterested, take it to heart that this man may be toying with your heart. After all, since he's off sowing his wild oats elsewhere, he doesn't have a real need, desire, or interest to be close and intimate with you as well. Plus, he may view his other sexual excursions and endeavors to be more appealing due to the fact that they're happening under a lure of secrecy. So if you're finding that your man is pulling away from you, he may be trying to pull one over you.

He accuses you of cheating

While it may seem surprising, a common characteristic of a cheating man is that he accuses you of cheating on him. In fact, it's been shown that people tend to accuse their accusers of what they're doing as a way to deflect blame and guilt. And if your man insists that you're the one who's being unfaithful or if his response to cheating inquiries is that you're the person who's doing him wrong, this could a sign that he's been cheating on you. After all, if someone accuses you of something that you're not guilty of, you would do everything in your power to rebuff, disprove, and discredit the accusation with clear-cut facts. On the other hand, if you were actually guilty, one way to try to absolve yourself from blame and avoid having to take the fall is to flip the argument back at the other person, no matter how ridiculous it may sound. So if he starts playing the blame game and throwing accusations in your face, it could be because he's playing games behind your back.

He lies to you

One of the most quintessential qualities of a man who cheats is that he lies to his partner over and over again. After all, cheating men have to cover their tracks, and that means lying about who they're with, where they are, what they're spending money on, as well as who they're calling, emailing, and texting, just to name a few. In fact, for many guys who cheat, their life ends up turning into one big lie, and they're left making up stories, events, and happenings in order to keep their indiscretions under wraps. And in many cases, this means fabricating and falsifying the truth to a point where it's practically unrecognizable. However, there are certain signs you can look for that can help you to decipher fact from fiction, and that means paying attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues. For example, when people are lying, they typically repeat certain words, almost as though they're reciting lines in a script, in the hopes that their point will come across to the listener. After all, making something up on the spot can be complicated and difficult, so people who lie tend to stick with key, go-to phrases to keep things simple. On the flip side, when people lie, they sometimes overshare the amount of information that they provide and give way more detail and specifics than would ever be necessary. They do this in order to seem more honest, transparent, and believable, but in reality, it's overkill. Further, in addition to what people tend to say when they lie, it's also important to take note of how they're saying it. Specifically, when people lie, they have a tendency to touch or cover their mouths when they talk, almost signalling that they're holding something back. People are also inclined to sway, fidget, and even shake nervously when they're being dishonest, so it's imperative to look for any movements that seem anxious and unnatural. It's also believed that when people lie, they tend to look to the right while they're speaking – perhaps because they know that they're in the wrong.

He picks fights

Many times when a man is cheating, he looks for ways to stir up arguments, squabbles, and disagreements with his partner, and there are many reasons behind this fight-driven phenomenon. In the first place, many men who cheat are looking for ways to distract their partner and prevent them from figuring out what's really going on behind their backs. So by picking fights, men are able to divert their partner's attention to other topics in order to throw them off the scent. Whether it's a disagreement about cleaning up the bathroom, walking the dog, or picking up a prescription at the pharmacy, these small, petty, and seemingly insignificant fights and quips are meant to cover up big indiscretions. Additionally, when a man is prone to pick fights with his partner, this can also be a sign that he wants her to pull back and disengage from him and the relationship. After all, if your man starts treating you poorly, is critical of the things you're doing, and becomes argumentative, ill-tempered, and unreasonable, it's not uncommon that you'll want to withdraw from the situation. In fact, men who pick fights are then able to use that as an excuse to 'walk out' on the argument so that the real issue never has a chance to come out. Many guys even use this desire to cool off after a fight as an opportunity to leave and spend time with the other object of their affection. Further, when people are under a great deal of stress and pressure, they also tend to be more irritable, testy, and quarrelsome. And when a man is trying to hide the person he's seeing on the side, being stressed out is a common side effect.

He calls you by the wrong name

Another major indicator that your man is cheating on you is that he inadvertently calls you by the wrong name. Also known as a Freudian slip, this is an instance in which a person ends up saying out loud what he or she's unconsciously thinking. And for a man who's cheating on his partner, it's not uncommon that the name of the person who's the new apple of his eye ends up popping out of his mouth, sometimes at inopportune times. To that end, research has shown that situational stressors can cause Freudian slips, so when your guy's conscious mind is preoccupied, distracted, and nervous when he's around you, his unconscious mind is able to let loose. And when this happens, it's likely that the name of the person he's trying to suppress ends up coming out front and center.

He frequently condemns cheating

In many instances, when a man is being unfaithful, he goes out of his way to condemn and denounce the act of cheating as much as possible. In psychology, this concept is known as reaction formation, and it's when a person becomes overly obsessed with an idea, concept, or belief that's actually the complete opposite of his or her real thoughts and feelings about the issue. In the case of a cheating man, he may be so outspoken about his condemnation of cheating that it's actually a defense mechanism and coping tactic for his own indiscretions. This reaction formation helps him deal with and manage his own inner-conflict, and by being so openly and forcefully opposed to cheating, he's trying to convince others, as well as himself, that he's not really a cheater. So if you've noticed that your man is consistently finding ways to tell you and show you how fervently he's opposed to cheating, it's possible that he's a cheater himself.

He wants his privacy

A classic sign that a man is cheating on you is that he suddenly has a new need for privacy. You may notice that he's taking his calls in the other room, clearing his browser history on the computer, as well as deleting his text and Facebook messages. This is due to the fact that when men cheat, their ability to maintain their privacy is an important part of keeping up the illusion of their innocence. In many cases, men who cheat end up creating their own private world, with secret usernames, email addresses, social media accounts, hidden apps, and even separate phone numbers, bank accounts, and vacations. In fact, a 2012 survey by BullGuard, a mobile and online security software company, revealed that 20% of men have a secret email account that their partner doesn't know about, and this email account is often used to correspond with an ex, a fling, and/or other secret online acquaintances. Additionally, 25% of men admit to using unique and complicated passwords for their email and social media accounts in order to prevent their partner from having any access. So if you've noticed that your man wants his privacy more than ever before, consider that he might be cheating on you.

Cheating Girl Games

He spends time with friends who've cheated

A man's friends can give you clear insight into his character, priorities, interests, and pastimes. And while you can't control who your man is friends with, it's interesting to note that a man who cheats typically hangs out with other men who've also cheated. In fact, research has shown that nearly 80% of men who cheat have a close friend who cheated. After all, not only is this one more thing that these men have in common and can discuss openly with one another, but they also share a similar bond, understanding, and attitude regarding cheating in general. Further, having friends who've cheated can also help your man validate, justify, and deal with his own unfaithful actions since he's close with others who've gone through similar situations.

He makes you uneasy

When it comes to men who cheat, there's a certain type of unsettling and disconcerting feeling that these men can end up generating in their partners. And while these men may do everything in their power to hide their cheating, their words, actions, and behaviors can instill a sense of uncertainty, uneasiness, and doubt in their partner. And in many cases, women can pick up on the fact that something is off, even without tangible proof or hard evidence. This concept is known as 'gut feel,' and it occurs when a person intuitively senses in the pit of his or her stomach that something just isn't right. Women who are being cheated on can often feel that something sinister is happening, simply because of pure instinct. In fact, it's been said that women may have a stronger ability to hone into their gut feelings than men do because of a woman's innate ability to read others. So if you're sensing in your gut that your man is being unfaithful, have faith in your instincts and intuition and do everything in your power to unearth the truth.

Why Cheating Is Bad

The CUNY-Wide Conference on Academic Integrity

at Eugenio María de Hostos Community College,

Friday, September 29, 2017

Academic Integrity and Cheating: Why is it wrong to cheat?

Remarks prepared by

Philip A. Pecorino, Ph.D.

Queensborough Community College, CUNY

Abstract:

The presentation offers a definition of cheating as a form of violation of academic integrity and explanations for why cheating is attractive or tempting and then why, in the most fundamental sense, it should be judged to be morally wrongful behavior in an academic setting. The remarks make use of several ethical principles as well as the most popular notion that doing harm to self and others is a morally wrongful act.

Outline

· Preface

· Introduction

· What is cheating?

· Why is it wrong?

· Moral Theories:

  • Categorical Imperative

  • Atheistic Natural Law Theory

  • Theistic Natural Law Theory

  • Justice as Fairness Principle

  • Utilitarianism

  • Virtue Ethics

  • Ethical Egoism

·Why is cheating attractive?

·Why is it wrong? The simplest terms

·How does cheating harm anyone?

·Resources

Preface:

While there is mounting evidence that a rational argument is not determinative of the action of its audience there is still some value in setting out the reasons why cheating in academic settings is not desirable behavior and deleterious to social welfare. Undesirable behavior left unchallenged and with no attempts to dissuade its exhibitors of its consequences is less likely to diminish in frequency.

Introduction:

It is generally understood that there are several different ways a person can act in a manner not consistent with Academic Integrity including: Plagiarism, Fabrication, Cheating and other forms of Academic Misconduct.

Rather than at this time looking on all forms of violations of Academic Integrity the focus is on one: Cheating. A good deal of what is presented here concerning a justification for forming the moral judgment that cheating is morally wrong can be applied to the other forms of violation of the general notion of Academic Integrity.

When examining the many different principles that can be used to support the moral judgment that cheating is morally wrong it becomes rather easy to understand and accept why cheating is nearly always thought to be something that humans should not do. Nearly always? Yes, just nearly and not always. The exceptions are within some carefully drawn parameters as in some games and warfare to name two contexts with exceptions to the notion of cheating as morally wrong. For example in a game such as baseball there are forms of cheating thought to be artful and acceptable and others not to be tolerated and even subject to punishments. The line between the two is somewhat difficult to draw and appears to shift over time. In warfare, there are many who consider there to be certain “rules” and then there are those who would violate those rules. The victor often decides when the rules can be broken and cheating considered a strategic weapon and not as wrongful behavior.

What is cheating as a violation of Academic Integrity?

It is not simply prudent but necessary to understand exactly what is meant by that term “cheating”. Just what are we talking about? Then, there can proceed a consideration of why such behavior should be adjudged as morally wrong.

For the present purpose the notion of “cheating” will be confined for the most part to:

  1. Using another person’s work and submitting it as one’s own, such as a paper or even including collaborative homework
  2. Taking answers from another for an examination,
  3. Allowing someone to use your work on an examination or in an assignment
  4. Getting an advanced look at an examination by stealth, getting exam questions in advance,
  5. Copying material without proper citation and other forms of plagiarism
  6. Padding bibliographies with works not used in any form,
  7. Using or possessing notes and answers in advance of an exam or exercise and using them during the exam or exercise that does not permit such use,
  8. Using electronic devices to obtain information during an examination or exercise that does not permit such,
  9. Taking a test or performing an exercise for someone or having someone take a test or perform an exercise for you.

There are other forms of cheating and with the advance of technologies and forms of instruction there are and will be variations on and additions to the list just presented.

Why is it wrong to cheat?

Why is any human action judged to be wrong? In what way wrong? In this context the notion of cheating being wrong is intended in a moral sense. It is not applied in a pragmatic or aesthetic sense. For a moral judgment that any human action or form of behavior is morally wrong there would need to be some justification or reason upon which that judgment rests or is based. The justification most typically takes the form of some ethical principle being violated.

Now there are a variety of ethical traditions that provide general principles which can be used to condemn such actions as have been termed “cheating” and each does so for a variety of reasons. This treatment of cheating will examine a few of the most popular of approaches to the question of the basis for moral judgments.

Moral Theories:

The various approaches to moral reasoning can be examined according to what feature of an act is the basis for it being termed morally right or wrong. First, there are those who would condemn the actions in and of themselves as violating some principle of the moral good. Second, there are those who would condemn the acts for what they produce or fail to produce. Given the current limitations in time a very quick overview as applied to cheating the following is offered.

1.Categorical Imperative

A follower of Immanuel Kant would condemn such acts as violations of the Categorical Imperative for we cannot will that all humans would behave in such dishonest ways in their dealings with all other humans. The moral duty for Kant would have people use reason to examine if they could will that all other people should behave in the same way towards all other persons. So the would-be cheaters should consider if they would want to live in a world where people cheated as they please. Given that would-be cheaters need to consider living in a world where would-be cheaters need the services of others it would appear to be reasonable to conclude that the would-be cheaters should not want to have inferior care and services from providers who cheated their way into positions. Nor would they want dishonest or inferior services being delivered to those they know and for whom they care.

  1. Atheistic Natural Law Theory

Natural Law Theory would condemn such acts as violations of behaviors which species exhibit that enable them to survive and prosper by personal achievement and growth. People, indeed our species, survive by virtue of our accomplishments. We learn a good deal which we use in our efforts to survive and prosper. Cheating instead of learning weakens all in society. People need to be truthful and to earn their way in the world if the species is to survive challenges and to progress and flourish. People need to trust one another if we are to have social life. People need to trust that others have the knowledge and skills which they claim and upon which others rely.

  1. Theistic Natural Law Theory

For those who believe in a deity as the source of all creation and the provider of laws, there is the notion that survival and prosperity takes place through direct exchanges not to be diminished through falsehoods such as represented in cheating. For those who believe in a deity and the acknowledgement of several commandments there are the purported directives that direct humans to avoid falsehoods. Divine commandments prohibit not only the taking of what is not ours but of coveting it as well. Cheating violates these divine prohibitions.

4. Justice as Fairness Principle

For someone applying the principles of John Rawls and seeking to maximize human liberties and equality of opportunities while minimizing the differences amongst social classes and individuals, there is also a condemnations of cheating and lying as violations of the liberty principle and as supporting unjust differences.

Now I offer a look at those approaches that condemn the acts for what they produce or fail to produce.

5. Utilitarianism

For Utilitarians who consider the consequences of repeated behavior upon others (Rule Utilitarian) there are also strong reasons to think that acts of cheating do not produce the greatest utility or the greatest amount of physical and emotional happiness nor does it satisfy the interests of society nor provide for a sense of wellbeing for humanity.

For the Utilitarians who consider the consequences of acts of cheating there is a concern that as a rule cheating would not only not produce much general happiness but would actually produce harm instead. Society is not well served and the interests of society are not well satisfied if persons who are not capable of providing the knowledge and services needed by others are given positions due to their having cheated.

6. Virtue Ethics

There is an approach to ethical thinking based on consideration of virtue of mind and character rather than upon rules or duties. When considering moral character or virtues it would appear obvious and direct that the virtues of truth and trust and excellence of character would not support engaging in any forms of deception or dishonesty. Virtues are acquired and demonstrated through practice. Developing virtuous habits strengthens character and the willingness to resist temptations to do what is not consistent with virtuous behavior. Whether the virtues to be cultivated and exemplified are those based on what aim at a good life or wellbeing or based on those exemplifying the virtues associated with women more than men with caring, self-sacrifice, nurturing of others and solidarity and community or based on what most deem as admirable traits in others, cheating is not virtuous.

7. Ethical Egoism

For Ethical Egoists there is the attraction to such actions in thinking that through cheating some desirable end could be achieved with less effort than otherwise would be required. This is the popular thought anyway.

Ok, so how do egoists justify cheating? Well, whatever makes the egoist happy is thought of as the GOOD thing to do. This is the ethical principle of an egoist. The potential cheater thinks achieving the desired end by stealth or falsehood or through a variety of means that are in violation of academic integrity will make the egoist happy. Most likely this is the case because they think there is less work involved rather than being motivated by thoughts of the pure joy of achieving a successful deception. Few people cheat for the pure sake of cheating.

The cheat usually gets a higher grade or reward than otherwise would result from their lack of legitimate efforts. They avoid negative outcomes. They may even provide reason for the instructor to think that the instructor’s work was effective in producing high academic performance. Friend and family of the cheater may also be pleased at the accomplishments and achievements.

For the ethical egoist cheating might appear to be morally justified unless the ethical egoist has an interest in having a properly functioning society with fully capable individuals proving goods and services.


Why is cheating attractive?

With so many theories providing a clear set of principles and reasons with which to condemn cheating as being immoral, it is a wonder that people would do it. Yet they do cheat and in a 2013 report we have that “In fact, the rate of students who admit to cheating at least once in their college careers has held steady at somewhere around 75 percent since the first major survey on cheating in higher education in 1963.” With all the latest surveys indicating that academic dishonesty is very popular it prompts the question:

So, what makes cheating appear as attractive? Why would anyone want to do it and think that they had done a good thing rather than a bad thing?

Well there are several reasons and there is research into why people do cheat in general and even in the academic setting. Based on a survey done by a company that performs private investigations and digital and business forensics, Kessler International, comes the claim that 9 in 10 students admit to cheating in college and the students who do report cheating indicate that they cheat frequently using a variety of techniques and that they suspect faculty do the same.

Most disheartening come the reports that only 12 percent of students said they'd never cheat because of ethics.

Hicks Crawford on the College Life reports that students are not lazy but they do cut corners and they offer these reasons for cheating.

1. They're ambitious.

2. The competition is ruthless.

3. They don't fear the punishment.

4. They don't understand the lectures.

5. There are too many papers to write.

Ralph Heibutzki has reported that students’ reasons for cheating can be placed into five different categories. These categories were ambiguous attitudes, competitive pressures, institutional apathy, lack of understanding, and self-interest.

Donald McCabe, Kenneth Butterfield, & Linda Trevino in 2012 in their book, Cheating in College: Why Students Do It and What Educators Can Do about It, reported that more than 2/3 of college students report in engaging in some form of cheating and those cheating habits among college students develop prior to arriving at college, and continue to run rampant in professional schools. Their focus was on what can be done to reduce its prevalence and they hold that a program featuring deeply embedded honors code as a key to creating an ethical environment. However other measures might also be considered and attempted including altering student attitudes towards cheating as early as possible and identifying the reasons that particular groups are more inclined to cheat and then addressing those factors.

As well as it has been documented that cheating is widespread and appears to be rising in frequency, it also appears obvious that simply offering reasons why it should not take place appears to be ineffective in halting or even diminishing its occurrences. Offering rather sophisticated reasons why cheating is morally wrong appears not to be a means of making a significant decline in its frequency. Then what is to be done? Perhaps getting down to basics might work. Making the case clearly and often and in the simplest terms as to just why is it wrong both morally and even practically, might be worth making part of a program.

Why is it wrong? The simplest terms

Now here is where we shall put aside the formal theories and simply focus on the most popular reason people give for finding an action to be morally wrong. Many, if not most people today, tend to think they should be tolerant and not judgmental and hold actions of others to be acceptable provided that they do not harm others. So here we have the key idea. The most popular moral imperative appears to be: DO NO HARM. This near universal position is most likely due to neurological factors that have been described as manifesting in what has been termed our “Ethical Brain” providing us who are considered normal with the feelings of empathy and sympathy needed for social life. Those lacking in such behaviors are often described in pathological terms as socio path or psychopath. So if harming humans is in some way thought to be wrong or something humans ought to avoid doing, why then is cheating to be avoided? This may not influence the behavior of the ethical egoist who is successful at cheating and for whom there appears to be no downside as the harm caused to others is of little or no concern. For other than the ethical egoists the results of considering the impact on others might just prove to be quite different. As one begins to consider the consequences of the violations of academic integrity on those other than the violator the negative outcomes or harms appear.

How does cheating harm anyone?

How does cheating harm anyone?

At first thought it may appear that cheating would produce beneficial results for many.

  • The student gets a higher grade and is happy.

  • The instructor gives a higher grade and is happy thinking that the learners are achieving

  • The parents and friends of the student are happy that the students is doing well

  • Those subsidizing the tuition and expenses of the student are happy with the student’s achievements and progress.

So, what is the problem then?

Well, let us look at the harm done by looking at to whom it is done.

Harm to Students:

Other students are cheated and feel hurt when they learn some get grades that they did not earn through hard work and mastery of the course content. Students who have been following the rules and are being honest are upset to learn that others, their peers, achieved grades through dishonesty. They think it unfair that they needed to work hard to achieve what they have while others can be afforded a similar result through cheating, theft and lies. Students who are honest often express their anger not so much toward their fellow students who have been dishonest as toward instructors and others, who accept it, permit it or encourage it. There is the sense that everyone should play by the same rules. To accept otherwise is just not fair. While many students appear to have an understanding why a peer might cheat, giving into temptation due to pressures or stress, still honest students do not like that their peers “get away with it”.

Students who are in competition for positions within or acceptance to an academic program think that it is not fair to allow people to achieve such by dishonesty. Those excluded from positions or acceptances are particularly hurt if other students who were accepted based on an academic record that was not honestly achieved have eliminated them.

Harm to Instructors:

It is not only honest students who are hurt but instructors as well. The reputation of the instructor is hurt when students and colleagues learn that the instructor has allowed or encouraged or not effectively inhibited cheating. The instructor is thought to be unprofessional or a less effective instructor. Not being vigilant in the enunciation and enforcement of standards of academic integrity is not often seen as a means to achieve some form of positive recognition in the academic community.

Harm to Family and Friends:

The student who cheats may present family and friends with an image as one who has earned whatever grades and positions are achieved. However, deceiving our friends and family is not a good thing to do. If caught, there is great shame for the person who cheats and for those closest to that person. There is a discomfort produced when family and friends learn of the dishonesty and they must reassess their view of the cheater. It may cause friends and family to wonder whether or not the person who practices academic dishonesty is dishonest in general and capable of being dishonest with them. Dishonesty sows the seeds of distrust. These are definite harms.

If not caught, family and friends may think that the student who cheated has knowledge, which they do not in fact possess. There may arise situations in which family and friends will not be well served by the lack of knowledge or skill, which the deceptive student might have acquired had they not cheated. This is a potential harm.

Harm to the Public:

Society is poorly served if people are permitted to become credentialed, certified and licensed through cheating. They are less able to perform their role in society as those who did not cheat. Those who have achieved their positions through dishonesty are more likely to cause harm to the public through shoddy work or malpractice.

Society is hurt by cheating for the cheating is not and will not likely be confined to the academic world. In many ways in public life cheating is becoming more common. False and distorted claims are made on job applications. Public officials are more prone to dishonest claims and acts. Corporate leaders deceive and accountants cheat as well.

Any cheating which is tolerated promotes more cheating but when it is tolerated in the academic world at times and in places where young people are being prepared for taking their roles in public life it is particularly harmful for it produces cheaters, well trained cheaters and cheaters who believe that it is acceptable.

Harm to the Cheat:

The cheat suffers harm as well from cheating. The student who cheats does not learn anything from cheating except for how to cheat and perhaps how to cheat successfully. This is not likely to produce true friends, admirers, and supporters. It is not likely to produce a person who has acquired knowledge that enriches a person, expands their horizons, broadens their experiences, and develops their abilities.

What was not learned might be knowledge that could have served the cheater well in situations unimagined at the time the decision to cheat is made.

In cheating the cheater aids and abets the practice, continues its popularity and spread. The cheater will probably complain throughout life of being the victim of cheating: of those who cheat in billing, weighing produce, misrepresenting products and business agreements. The cheater will complain of doctors of medicine who perform malpractice due to ignorance of what should have been known. They will complain of faulty work by electricians, plumbers, architects and the like who provide incomplete or faulty services and most particularly work that suffered because they did not know what they should have known but did not because they cheated.

Conclusion:

In the very simplest of terms: cheating is a bad thing to do. Don’t do it. Don’t harm others and do not harm yourself!

References

  • Who Cheats, and How (2012)
  • Yale Daily News: Cheating Confusion Persists (2010)
  • 9 in 10 Students Admit to Cheating in College, Suspect Faculty Do the Same By Diane Schaffhauser (2017)
  • How college classes encourage cheating (2013)
  • Iowa State University: Why Do Some Students Cheat? They Rationalize It, ISU Research Finds (2006)
  • High-Tech Cheating Abounds, and Professors Bear Some Blame(2010)
  • Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age (2010)
  • Cheating In College: Where It Happens, Why Students Do It and How to Stop It 2014
  • Cheating in College: Why Students Do It and What Educators Can Do about It. (2012) Book by Donald McCabe, Kenneth Butterfield, & Linda Trevino. Review by Matt Church. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press. 240 pp. $39.95, (Hardback), ISBN # 978-1-421-40716-6