Survey finds high levels of cheating, stealing by high school students

NEW YORK (AP) - A new nationwide survey finds 30 percent of high school students who were questioned say they have stolen from a store in the past year, and 64 percent have cheated on a test.

The Josephson Institute surveyed nearly 30,000 students at 100 schools, some public and some private. It found the cheating to be rampant, with 38 percent of those surveyed acknowledging they cheated two or more times, while 36 percent said they used the Internet to plagiarize an assignment.

Despite those responses, 93 percent of the students said they were satisfied with their own personal ethics and character.

Several educators reacting to the findings say intensified pressures prompt many students to cut corners.

The institute's president says he was most dismayed by the finding about theft, which he sees as a reflection of a cynical society.

Michael Josephson says young people have a "Why shouldn't we? Everyone else does it" attitude.