My last article focused on the prevalence of cheating in schools, although I emphasized that the problem was not confined to students. I wrote of adults in high profile positions who fabricated accomplishments on their resumes or falsified research findings or engaged in illegal financial schemes. I referred to the use of PEDs in the world of athletics, with suspensions becoming a regular occurrence. Each day appears to bring forth yet another account of adults exposed for sacrificing honesty for lies in an attempt to further their careers, finances, and/or standing in society. Given the questionable behavior of well-known adults who unfortunately often serve as models for our youth, is it little wonder that cheating pervades our schools? Prior to describing preventive steps that can be undertaken to lessen the incidence of cheating, I think it will be useful if I review several of the key points from my September article. The reader is directed to that article for a more in-depth discussion of this issue. A “Radical Proposition” about Cheating A large part of my September piece was predicated on an article by James Lang published in The Boston Globe titled “How College Classes Encourage Cheating.” Lang is…
