Academic dishonesty is on the rise. Or so we keep hearing. With the rise of artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT and increasing technology use and collaboration at school, it can be challenging for teachers to know when students violate school honor codes. College professors and high school teachers are now on a mission to decrease academic misconduct in their students.

We've all heard the term “fake it ‘till you make it,” but can educators fake out students to make them more honest when completing schoolwork? A new literature review from the University of Western Australia reveals this may be true. But if you or your student are facing cheating accusations now, you don't have to figure it out alone. The experienced Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help you with cheating accusations nationwide. Call them at 888-535-3686 to schedule your consultation.

Fake It ‘Till You Make It?

According to Guy Curtis, an applied psychologist at the University of Western Australia, students will resist cheating if they believe that academic misconduct among their peers is rare. Typically, educators do this by cracking down on those who violate honor codes, making it clear to other students that they won't get away with cheating. However, research indicates that students are also less likely to cheat if they simply think that few of their peers are doing it.

Groups of students often justify cheating to themselves by thinking, “Everyone's doing it,” embracing cheating as a social norm. Curtis's book, Academic Integrity in the Social Sciences, lays out some of the ways that universities are trying to change or “break” the current cheating social norms, including:

• Using academic integrity ambassadors to discourage academic dishonesty,
• Cracking down on academic misconduct with harsh penalties, and
• Changing cultural beliefs.

For example, Curtis points out that Chinese students are often accused of cheating because of a cultural belief that they should imitate experts. However, after spending several months in Australia, these students were able to relearn or break this belief in a new environment. While Curtis's ideas seem promising, in the U.S., students still often face unfair accusations of cheating.

You Need the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team

If you're a student or the parent of a student accused of cheating, the stress can be unbearable. Academic dishonesty may be rampant in a college because teachers and professors have encountered so many obvious cases of plagiarism or other cheating. As a result, they become hyper-focused on finding cheaters, and in the process, innocent students get swept up in the hunt. But you don't have to figure this out on your own. Students have due process rights, and the skilled Lento Law Firm Education Law Team can help. The Lento Law Firm Team has been fighting for students like you nationwide for years. Don't let a school steamroll you. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 to schedule your consultation, or contact them online.