A few years ago there was a national survey by Rutgersâ?? Management Education Center which found that 75 percent of the 4,500 high school studentâ??s surveyed engaged in what they reported as â??serious cheatingâ?� and more than half had plagiarized work they found on the Internet.

Today, cheating is on the increase and made easy by new technology and the Internet. Does your child need a research paper or an argumentative essay on why â??the Neanderthal should be classified as a subspecies of Modern Man?â?�, they need only visit www.essaytown.com.

Itâ??s no secret that many children are tempted to cheat, but not all do. If your child has fallen into the â??cheater trapâ?�, he/she must be guided to safety immediately. Students who cheat do themselves a grave disservice and carry an awesome burden.

Cheaters are losers. They do not make the effort to learn on their own. Weighted down with guilt and fear, irregardless of what a cheater says, they are always thinking about getting caught and the lie they will tell to guard their cheating ways.

Cheating always catches up with you. When you least expect it you will be asked to perform that task you did not learn, write or speak about that topic you did not research or become the captain of a sport you barely played.

Parents are a childâ??s first teacher and it is your responsibility to talk to your child about cheating. Itâ??s no secret that adults cheat too, at work, sports, and in their relationships, they get into serious trouble and can often jeopardize their livelihood and their life. Remember, children learn what they live.

Students cheat for many reasons. They do not want to work, look dumb in the eyes of their peers or disappoint their parents and teacher. No one wants to be the student who receives a grade in red, itâ??s humiliating and embarrassing.

Parents must step up to the plate and take control of the academic, social and emotional ramifications surrounding cheating. Do not tolerate cheating, and do not accept any lame justifications for the act. If your child knows there are consequences and you will not condone cheating, they will stop.

Children need to know that they can come to you with their problems and you will not judge or condemn. If your child is not doing well in school and they have to resort to cheating, it becomes your responsibility to get to the root of the problem.

Detra D. Davis is a certified Parent Educator with the North Carolina Parent Network and has been a writer for over 25 years. Visit her website http://www.supportingourchildren.com., a membership site supporting parents, schools, parent organizations and support groups that encourage parent education and parent involvement.