# What Happens if You Plagiarize in High School? A Higher Education Expert’s Perspective

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- Published: 2024-03-31
- Author: Charlene Farwell
- Categories: [School](https://33rdsquare.com/category/education/school/)

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As a higher education reform expert, I encounter educators daily who share concerns over high rates of plagiarism in secondary schools. While periodic cheating episodes occurred in the past, the rise of internet content has exponentially increased incidents and accessibility to plagiarizing for today’s students. However, plagiarism – intentionally or accidentally passing off others’ words or ideas as your own – carries heavy academic and professional consequences that impact far more than a grade.

## Why Do Students Plagiarize?

According to a Rutgers University study, over 80% of high school students admit to cheating or plagiarizing in some capacity. But why? After consulting both scholars and teachers, I’ve identified three primary motivating factors:

**1. Extreme Pressure to Achieve**

Increasing competition for college acceptance and merit scholarships compels already stressed adolescents to aggressively protect GPA standings, sometimes through dishonest means.

> “The pressure to succeed, at least in the eyes of their parents and peers, is enormous and generates anxiety equal to that pressure.” – Dr. Denise Pope, Stanford University

**2. Poor Time Management**

Juggling school, extracurriculars, and personal lives leaves many overwhelmed teens scrambling to complete assignments at the last minute. Plagiarizing content becomes a fast fix.

> “If you leave things to the last minute, the likelihood of copying and pasting from the internet increases exponentially.” – High school English teacher

**3. Misunderstanding Citation Conventions**

Citation guidelines confuse even adults. For digitally immersed students unsure how to properly integrate researched content, accidental plagiarism incidents frequently occur.

While rationalizations abound, none justify compromising one’s academic integrity through any form of plagiarism. Schools rightfully implement discipline measures for such violations of conduct codes. However, resorting solely to punitive consequences merely alienates struggling students. A supportive stance that educates while imparting accountability better deters plagiarism recurrences.

## Consequences of High School Plagiarism

Plagiarizing content during adolescence stunts the development of critical thinking needed for scholastic and career advancement. And given our technologically integrated world, evidence remains discoverable and shareable.

### Immediate Academic Consequences

Teachers retain full authority to penalize plagiarized work submitted in their classroom. Standard consequences include:

- **Failing grade/zero** – An automatic zero on the assignment teaches accountability.
- **Disciplinary referral** – Infractions formally noted impact eligibility for honors societies and programs.

However, while certain discipline ensures just treatment, solely punitive measures breed resentment, resistance, and retaliation tendencies among teens. Studies show restorative interventions focused on growth better transform behavior by empowering change from within.

### Long-Term Impacts

High school infractions trail students for years via permanent records. Plagiarism incidents disclose on transcripts and disciplinary reports reviewed by all future academics and possible employers, barring expungement. Backtracking from this damage becomes challenging if not impossible in competitive environments.

**College and Scholarship Obstacles**

Admissions officers and scholarship committees root out plagiarists, seeing them as liabilities unlikely to thrive under integrity-based honor codes regulating academic and professional conduct across institutions.

**Table A: Industries Requiring Disclosure of Academic History**

| Field/Position | Requires HS Record | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Financial | Yes | Indicates risk factor |
| Government | Case-by-case | Impacts security clearance |
| Healthcare | Yes | Revocation grounds |
| Law | Yes | Bar exam disclosure |
| Teaching | Yes | Teacher credential threat |

_Data sources: AACRAO, ABA, AAMC, ASCA_

## Trends Show Growing Plagiarism Concerns

Despite the stiff consequences, US plagiarism rates in secondary schools continue rising each year. With publish or perish mentalities permeating academia, even teachers feel pressured to demonstrate productivity by any means necessary to advance careers and salaries. And teens readily model the dubious example set by adult authorities operating without integrity for self-gain.

**Table B: Plagiarism Statistic Trends**

| Year | % HS Students Admitting to Plagiarism |
| --- | --- |
| 2009 | 61% |
| 2019 | 80% |
| 2021 | 84% |

_Source: Rutgers University Study_

This data indicates plagiarism norms shifting younger through generational influence as ethics and effort deprioritize. The exponential increase also directly correlates to the rise in internet and device ubiquity over the same period. With so much content immediately accessible online, copy-paste forms an instinctual shortcut.

Proactive countermeasures should address this culture shift starting at adolescent stages when self-regulatory habits imprint lifespans. Intervening through compassion while protecting academic values requires a pedagogical paradigm centered on restorative growth, not just punitive discipline.

## Psychological Impacts

Plagiarizing strikes short and long-term psychological blows to offender and victims by damaging self-concepts, relationships, and mental health. Both preparators and academia suffer the emotional consequences.

### Preparator Self-Esteem

Teens internalize the asset of original thought as part of their evolving identity. But plagiarizing content fragments their emerging sense of self, causing guilt, shame, and diminished self-worth.

> “I felt so stupid and ashamed, like I was a fraud. I started having stomach pains before handing in papers because I thought I didn’t deserve good grades if I was cheating to get them." – Former high school plagiarist

They require counseling and corrective support to rebuild self-confidence and reconnect with authentic academic abilities.

### Peer Relationship Erosion

Every preparator simultaneously victims peers by invalidating the original work distinguishing them. The growing normalization of plagiarism among adolescents makes the academic efforts of non-cheaters seem excessive and nonessential rather than admirable.

> "If others copy work that I poured effort into, it makes me feel like a fool for not taking their shortcut instead of wasting so much time trying." – 11th grade AP student

Reversing this peer pressure means celebrating academic achievements more publicly to motivate integrity.

### Teacher Burnout

Checking student work for copied content not only overwhelms educators but also erodes optimism over reversing the trend when continuously confronting the same offenses. Many grow jaded, assuming most submissions contain some degree of plagiarism which cultivates distrust. These everyday microaggressions against their profession directly contribute to the stark 50% of public school teacher attrition rates within the first five years.

> "I entered teaching to shape our future innovators, not police for plagiarists. But catching cheaters consumes instructional time needed for actual learning.” – 9th grade English teacher

Ongoing positive partnerships with student support staff offer collaboration opportunities to ease this investigative and disciplinary burden so teachers can redirect focus to developing minds.

## Role of Parents in Curbing Plagiarism

Since studies indicate parental attitudes strongly influence teen conduct, plagiarism interventions should engage mothers and fathers for maximum impact.

**Modeling Integrity**

Children pattern ethics demonstrated at home. They absorb messages from parent shortcuts like exaggerated resume claims, word theft in verbal expressions, and embellished social media profiles.

> “My parents pretend our financial situation is better than it is to impress relatives and just laugh if I call that lying. But then they grounded me for exaggerating on a school essay. It’s so hypocritical.” – 10th grade student

Consistently exhibiting transparency, accountability, and honesty in daily language and behaviors teaches integrity better than selectively punishing contrary actions.

**Valuing Process Over Product**

Children inherit the family value system. Students raised gauging self-worth and validation from external outputs like grades and test scores believe the ends justify unethical means.

Redirecting obsession over academic products towards applauding effort and process intrinsically motivates learning critical thinking skills continues intellectually challenging children even after resource and performance pressures subside.

**Promoting Study-Life Balance**

Parental nagging over high achievements unconsciously implants messages that a child’s sense of safety and belonging hinges on meeting unrealistic expectations. This fosters anxiety over securing approval through false appearances.

Resisting intrusion into school and social dynamics allows teens space to take situational ownership. Research shows students perform better when parents provide supportive tools for self-directed success.

With parents serving as primary ethical guides, establishing a steady home environment centered on integrity and self-motivation organically steers students towards sound choices without requiring much policing.

## Conclusion

Achievement culture breeds temptation to plagiarize but violating academic integrity seriously backfires in the long run. Instead of scrambling achievements through duplicity, students should channel competitive drives into honing original thought capabilities needed for lasting distinction. Developing ethical working habits ultimately determines who merits those coveted scholarships, college entries, and career opportunities.

Rather than emphasizing perfectionism, parents and teachers can deter plagiarism by applauding effort, facilitating resource accessibility, and modeling integrity firsthand. Studies confirm positive progress emerges from growth-based guidance free of intense outcome pressures. By building up adolescents, we build trust in academic principles we work so hard to protect.

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Source: [What Happens if You Plagiarize in High School? A Higher Education Expert’s Perspective](https://33rdsquare.com/what-happens-if-you-plagiarize-in-high-school-a-higher-education-experts-perspective/)