Our kids cannot be trusted. That is the conclusion that is too easy to reach based on new research from the Josephson Institute, which shows that nearly two-thirds of students have cheated on a test in the past year and 30 percent have stolen something from a store.
The research, which included interviews with nearly 30,000 students at randomly selected high schools across the country, points to a youth culture where getting ahead is the goal even if others suffer in the process.
Michael Josephson, the founder and president of the Josephson Institute, admitted to being shocked by the theft numbers. According to the study, 35 percent of boys and 26 percent of girls have shoplifted at least once in the past year. The thievery didn't stop there, however, as 20 percent said they had stolen something from a friend and 23 percent admitted stealing from a parent or other relative.
"What is the social cost of that -- not to mention the implication for the next generation of mortgage brokers?" Mr. Josephson told The Associated Press. "In a society drenched with cynicism, young people can look at it and say, 'Why shouldn't we? Everyone else does it.'"
Cheating in school has reached almost epidemic proportions with nearly 40 percent of students cheating two or more times on a test in the past year. Nearly two-thirds admitted to having cheated once. Thirty-six percent of students report going online to plagiarize a class assignment.
Despite the clear breach of ethical norms, most kids today don't see themselves as doing anything wrong. Ninety-three percent report being satisfied with their character and ethics. Seventy-seven percent said, "When it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know."
"In the end, the question is not whether things are worse, but whether they are bad enough to mobilize concern and concerted action," said Mr. Josephson.
"What we need to learn from these survey results is that our moral infrastructure is unsound and in serious need of repair. This is not a time to lament and whine but to take thoughtful, positive actions," he added.
Discussion Questions: What do you take from the findings of the Josephson Institute's research? What does it mean for businesses who serve these teenagers as customers and perhaps hire them one day as employees? What "thoughtful, positive actions" are needed to alter what appears to be an amoral approach to relationships and work?