Cheating in schools has been an issue long before rules were set in place on how students should be treated. Some believe by enforcing rules with stricter punishments and in some cases, this includes corporal punishment then the rate of cheating or the rule being broken will decrease. A study by Birmingham University found that with criminals the more police patrolling and the more punishment that was enforced on individuals breaking the law, the less crime there was actually being committed (Toby Helm, theguardian.com, 2012). Although this situation in the article doesn't directly relate to schools it shows that the harsher the punishment inflicted the less the crime was being committed, if this mentality was used in schools then the rate of cheating could be decreased.
Even though there is evidence to show harsher punishment is positive, there is also research to show harsher punishment is harmful to the development of children. The argument, in this case, is with physical punishment it results in an increase of aggression in children and can create more violent situations. If schools were looking for harsher punishments there has been research to show not only does corporal punishment negatively affect students mentally, but there also is no evidence that it benefits anyone in the long run (Sandi Schwartz, mother.ly, 2018). There is research to show creating a relationship with students increases trust and can limit rules being broken such as students cheating. The punishments put in place already show children that they are in the wrong.
In my opinion, I think the punishments we are given for cheating aren't nearly as harsh as they could or should be. I don't necessarily agree with going as far as corporal punishment because of the research indicating negative effects; however, I think more should be brought to the student than a slap on the wrist and an F on the assignment. In college, cheating or plagiarism can result in expulsion and I think it should be taken just as seriously in high school. Cheating is a serious issue and it has become normalized by fellow students and society determining your worth based on a letter grade. The amount of pressure added to kids to receive good grades only enables cheating and should be discussed with teachers. The harsher the punishment is, I think only decreases the amount of cheating happening.
I disagree with this post because it fails to acknowledge that there are already some harsh punishments and the consequences for these punishments. Some high schools have expelled students for cheating, and are going to continue to in the future. Expelling students are not going to better them for the future, as they are just getting rid of their problem completely. It is completely selfish of the school and should not be allowed. School should be about reforming the lives of students, not pushing them in the right direction and abandoning them when it does not look like they will give them good reputation.
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