American youth steal, lie, and cheat

**alaskaguy** · 12-01-2008, 07:58 PM

A 2008 survey of American teens reports that they steal, lie, and cheat are at alarming rates:

Link:
CHARACTER COUNTS!: Programs: Ethics of American Youth Survey: Josephson Institute's Report Card

**ISUFan22** · 12-01-2008, 08:05 PM

In other breaking news, it has been reported that water is in fact, wet.

;)

**vmbplayer** · 12-01-2008, 08:08 PM

umm, k. Might I point out that most students of this age could give a crap about this survey. Most won't even try on a test of basic skills style test that we base the no child left behind performance on. I'd like to add that should I take this survey I might be totally honest until the last question about whether or not I lied about lying on the test to which I would respond yes because I found it funny. The stealing is an issue yes, the cheating is a huge problem in school I can attest to watching that for the last 10 years first hand. However, the honesty portion of this is a crock. How many kids do you know that have been totally honest with their parents. Anyone here have "the talk" with their kid and asked them about what they've done and actually expected the truth. Or if they tried alcohol while in high school do you think they would straight up till their parents. I would guess the generations ahead of mine 70's for example didn't try pot then go home and tell their parents they were drug users. No offense to anyone who grew up in the 70's and feels misrepresented.

**rahtotheames** · 12-01-2008, 08:11 PM

Junior in HS, and I concur with these results.

If your not cheatin, your not tryin!

**Cyclone62** · 12-01-2008, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by vmbplayer

umm, k. Might I point out that most students of this age could give a crap about this survey. Most won't even try on a test of basic skills style test that we base the no child left behind performance on. I'd like to add that should I take this survey I might be totally honest until the last question about whether or not I lied about lying on the test to which I would respond yes because I found it funny. The stealing is an issue yes, the cheating is a huge problem in school I can attest to watching that for the last 10 years first hand. However, the honesty portion of this is a crock. How many kids do you know that have been totally honest with their parents. Anyone here have "the talk" with their kid and asked them about what they've done and actually expected the truth. Or if they tried alcohol while in high school do you think they would straight up till their parents. I would guess the generations ahead of mine 70's for example didn't try pot then go home and tell their parents they were drug users. No offense to anyone who grew up in the 70's and feels misrepresented.

So... you're saying the numbers are too high? I also don't believe that parents gave these kids the survey, so I"m not sure how your analogy works.

**IcSyU** · 12-01-2008, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by rahtotheames

Junior in HS, and I concur with these results.

If your not cheatin, your not tryin!

Sophomore in college...I admit I cheated in HS but not college...

**jamesfnb** · 12-01-2008, 08:27 PM

"Cheaters never win...................in the long run"

A wise, wise man told me that

**cycloneman003** · 12-01-2008, 08:33 PM

really us high schoolers lie, steal and cheat? wow... done all that. why isnt drugs and drinking on that list? i know at my school about 80-90% falls under that category

....yes, guilty as charged

**Cyclone62** · 12-01-2008, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by rahtotheames

Junior in HS, and I concur with these results.

If your not cheatin, your not tryin!

Originally Posted by IcSyU

Sophomore in college...I admit I cheated in HS but not college...

Originally Posted by cycloneman003

really us high schoolers lie, steal and cheat? wow... done all that. why isnt drugs and drinking on that list? i know at my school about 80-90% falls under that category

....yes, guilty as charged

I'm calling all of your parents.

**whirlybirds** · 12-01-2008, 08:39 PM

sounds like a bunch future CEO's to me

**vmbplayer** · 12-01-2008, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by Cyclone62

So... you're saying the numbers are too high? I also don't believe that parents gave these kids the survey, so I"m not sure how your analogy works.

I wasn't suggesting that parents were giving the survey. If you read the survey you'd see one of the questions was have you lied to your parents about something major, and that that's not really a shockingly high number and is nothing new that kids do. And I'm not so much saying the numbers are too high, I'm just saying they're flat out wrong. Why?

Because your asking kids to be honest on a survey about whether or not their honest? Then you believe your results to be accurate? Am I the only one that sees a problem with the logic in this?

I believe it was captain Jack Sparrow that said "Me, I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for."

**IcSyU** · 12-01-2008, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by Cyclone62

I'm calling all of your parents.

Your phone bill would put Kelvin Sampson's to shame

**Cyclone62** · 12-01-2008, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by vmbplayer

I wasn't suggesting that parents were giving the survey. If you read the survey you'd see one of the questions was have you lied to your parents about something major, and that that's not really a shockingly high number and is nothing new that kids do. And I'm not so much saying the numbers are too high, I'm just saying they're flat out wrong. Why?

Because your asking kids to be honest on a survey about whether or not their honest? Then you believe your results to be accurate? Am I the only one that sees a problem with the logic in this?

I believe it was captain Jack Sparrow that said "Me, I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for."

If you're going to get in trouble for telling the truth, you're more likely to be dishonest. If there are no repercussions, you're more apt to be honest on it. We all know the results aren't 100%. You're basically saying that so many kids lied on the survey as a whole that the results are so far off base that they can't be used at all.