In October, Ubayd Steed, a sixth grader in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was taking a math test when he noticed a classmate looking at his paper.
In
October
,
Ubayd
Steed
,
a
sixth
grader
in
Philadelphia
,
Pennsylvania
,
was
taking
a
math
test
when
he
noticed
a
classmate
looking
at
his
paper
.
"I quickly turned my paper over," he said.
``
I
quickly
turned
my
paper
over
,
''
he
said
.
Later that day, Ubayd met the cheater and told him not to do it again.
Later
that
day
,
Ubayd
met
the
cheater
and
told
him
not
to
do
it
again
.
Unfortunately, Ubayd' s experience is not unusual.
Unfortunately
,
Ubayd
'
s
experience
is
not
unusual
.
Whether it's kids copying class -mates' answers during tests or friends sharing homework, cheating happens in schools every day.
Whether
it
's
kids
copying
class
-mates
'
answers
during
tests
or
friends
sharing
homework
,
cheating
happens
in
schools
every
day
.
Experts say the behavior starts in the lower grades.
Experts
say
the
behavior
starts
in
the
lower
grades
.
Surveys show that one in three elementary students admits to cheating.
Surveys
show
that
one
in
three
elementary
students
admits
to
cheating
.
Jacob Harder, a fourth grader in Ware, Massachusetts, has had classmates ask to copy his homework.
Jacob
Harder
,
a
fourth
grader
in
Ware
,
Massachusetts
,
has
had
classmates
ask
to
copy
his
homework
.
"I wouldn't want to just tell them the answers," he says.
``
I
would
n't
want
to
just
tell
them
the
answers
,
''
he
says
.
So instead, he explains the task and encourages his classmates to do it themselves.
So
instead
,
he
explains
the
task
and
encourages
his
classmates
to
do
it
themselves
.
But many kids find it hard to say no.
But
many
kids
find
it
hard
to
say
no
.
"l hear from kids all the time,' I can' t say no to a friend,"' says Eric Anderman, a professor at The Ohio State University who studies cheating in school.
``
l
hear
from
kids
all
the
time
,
'
I
can
'
t
say
no
to
a
friend
,
'
''
says
Eric
Anderman
,
a
professor
at
The
Ohio
State
University
who
studies
cheating
in
school
.
He says it' s important to say no from the start.
He
says
it
'
s
important
to
say
no
from
the
start
.
"Then you nip it in the bud, and the other kid gets the message," he says.
``
Then
you
nip
it
in
the
bud
,
and
the
other
kid
gets
the
message
,
''
he
says
.
Plus, he points out, "a real friend is not going to disown you because he or she couldn't copy your math homework."
Plus
,
he
points
out
,
``
a
real
friend
is
not
going
to
disown
you
because
he
or
she
could
n't
copy
your
math
homework
.
''
The kids doing the copying may feel they need to cheat to be accepted by other kids.
The
kids
doing
the
copying
may
feel
they
need
to
cheat
to
be
accepted
by
other
kids
.
And some students may cheat simply because others do.
And
some
students
may
cheat
simply
because
others
do
.
"If you' re in an atmosphere where cheating is common, you may think that if you don' t cheat, you' re at a disadvantage," says Michael Josephson, founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics.
``
If
you
'
re
in
an
atmosphere
where
cheating
is
common
,
you
may
think
that
if
you
don
'
t
cheat
,
you
'
re
at
a
disadvantage
,
''
says
Michael
Josephson
,
founder
of
the
Josephson
Institute
of
Ethics
.
But Josephson says students shouldn't think that way.
But
Josephson
says
students
should
n't
think
that
way
.
"There are a lot of things kids do," he says.
``
There
are
a
lot
of
things
kids
do
,
''
he
says
.
"You have to decide what kind of person you' re going to be."
``
You
have
to
decide
what
kind
of
person
you
'
re
going
to
be
.
''
When school becomes too challenging, Anderman suggests going to the teacher rather than relying on the work of others.
When
school
becomes
too
challenging
,
Anderman
suggests
going
to
the
teacher
rather
than
relying
on
the
work
of
others
.
"It' s good to ask for help," he says.
``
It
'
s
good
to
ask
for
help
,
''
he
says
.
In October, Ubayd Steed, a sixth grader in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was taking a math test when he noticed a classmate looking at his paper. "I quickly turned my paper over," he said. Later that day, Ubayd met the cheater and told him not to do it again.  Unfortunately, Ubayd' s experience is not unusual. Whether it's kids copying class -mates' answers during tests or friends sharing homework, cheating happens in schools every day. Experts say the behavior starts in the lower grades. Surveys show that one in three elementary students admits to cheating.  Jacob Harder, a fourth grader in Ware, Massachusetts, has had classmates ask to copy his homework. "I wouldn't want to just tell them the answers," he says. So instead, he explains the task and encourages his classmates to do it themselves.  But many kids find it hard to say no. "l hear from kids all the time,' I can' t say no to a friend,"' says Eric Anderman, a professor at The Ohio State University who studies cheating in school. He says it' s important to say no from the start. "Then you nip it in the bud, and the other kid gets the message," he says. Plus, he points out, "a real friend is not going to disown you because he or she couldn't copy your math homework."  The kids doing the copying may feel they need to cheat to be accepted by other kids. And some students may cheat simply because others do. "If you' re in an atmosphere where cheating is common, you may think that if you don' t cheat, you' re at a disadvantage," says Michael Josephson, founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics.  But Josephson says students shouldn't think that way. "There are a lot of things kids do," he says. "You have to decide what kind of person you' re going to be."  When school becomes too challenging, Anderman suggests going to the teacher rather than relying on the work of others. "It' s good to ask for help," he says.