Cheating, Dishonesty, and Manipulation

Book excerpt: Why would someone with everything going for them cheat, lie, or manipulate? More than 80% of bright students self-reported that not only had they cheated in an academic setting, but they had also never been caught. Bright children try to manipulate parents and teachers for many reasons boredom and a lack of appropriate challenges, social anxiety and a need to fit in, fear of failure, or simply avoiding responsibility. Kate Maupin addresses the symptoms, the underlying causes, and how to address roots of the problem, rather than simple punishment, so that children do not become repeat offenders. Cheaters only cheat themselves out of the true joy of learning and accomplishment, at best achieving the cheap satisfaction of beating the system and at worst locking themselves into an unhealthy pattern of deceit. Dishonest, manipulative behavior can become so ingrained that the habit is difficult to break once students reach high school or college. Maupin discusses solutions and strategies to build honesty and confidence and to provide appropriate challenges and healthy outlets for creativity so that children can become self-sufficient, life-long learners who no longer feel a need to resort to cheating, dishonesty, or manipulation.