Parents, if your kids had a class called "Honesty 101," would they cheat to get a passing grade? Do kids today think of cheating as something everybody does, except nerds? Do they see it as a victimless crime that involves little risk and certain gain?

According to surveys of students and teachers across the U.S. and abroad, the answer is, unfortunately, yes.  Fred Schab, professor emeritus at the University of Georgia, says that since 1969 when he began his study, cheating has been on the rise

More kids think dishonesty is sometimes necessary and more parents are helping their kids avoid school rules. With cheating very visibly going on around them - from the savings and loan scandals to international athletes using performance-enhancing drugs, to Dad bragging about how he got out of a traffic ticket - somehow this isn't surprising.

Our schools need clear policies on cheating and an open discussion of the ethics involved. They also need to make sure kids understand just what cheating is, and enforce serious penalties for those who are caught. Clearer learning goals and noncompetitive evaluation of students' progress could help, too. As well, we need an understanding that cheating is doing dishonor to the self. Every time we cheat, we subtract from the sum of who we are.

Most important of all, I feel, are high standards for ethical behavior - taught, talked about and practiced at home. Do you value honesty? If you do, it is important to think about how you can best teach your children to value it too. Parents are the single greatest influence on children up to age five, and it is rarely too early to learn the benefits of honesty - especially with oneself.