Challenges

Challenges to Integrity

Our integrity is challenged when our lives test us: busy schedules, pressure from within ourselves, pressure from peers, parents, and teachers, or feelings of being overwhelmed with the amount of work we have to do. When we feel challenged in these ways, we need to remember that resources are available to help us.

The Integrity Challenge

Read about Joe's Integrity Challenge.

Meet Joe.

He's in a tough situation.

While going to school full-time, Joe works in the evenings and plays hockey. Good grades seem to come easily to his friends, but he struggles with his assignments. Being a slow reader, he feels it takes him a long time to understand what he's reading, let alone tackle the assignments. He wants to keep up with his friends in school. With a big paper due on Monday and a hockey game out of town this weekend, Joe is tempted to go to the Internet to find a paper he can submit instead of writing his own.

What challenges Joe's integrity in this situation?

His challenge appears in his temptation to take an assignment from the Internet and submit it as his own work. He hopes that in doing so, he can save time, and he will earn higher marks. He wants to join his team in the hockey game this weekend as well. He thinks that taking the paper from the Internet will give him the time he needs to go to the game.


What are Joe's options?

  1. Joe can either complete the paper before he goes to the game or not attend the game at all.
  2. Joe could ask his teacher if he can have an extension so that he can do the assignment properly.
  3. Joe can submit a plagiarized assignment.

What are the potential consequences for Joe?

  1. If Joe explains to his coach that he cannot make the game unless the assignment is finished, his coach will likely encourage him to do so.
  2. If he requests an extension from his teacher, the teacher may be more willing to help him complete the assignment. His teacher will also respect that he considers his work important and trust him in the future.
  3. If he hands in plagiarized work and his teacher reports it, he would be punished according to his school's plagiarism policy. This may result in a zero for the assignment, academic probation,or being removed from the class. Being removed from the class would require that he stay in school for an extra semester. Some of these punishments would be quite public and his friends may disrespect him for cheating.

What can Joe do to avoid a similar situation in the future?

Joe has several issues here. First, he wants to fit in with his friends and do well in his classes. He needs to realize that his friends likely feel the same pressure to succeed, but they may have ways of dealing with that pressure. Looking for a role model would help Joe manage his time better.


Second, his commitments interfere with one another. Joe needs to establish his priorities so that he can set goals for himself. For example, if it is important to him to do well in school and in hockey, he needs to set up a schedule where he can manage his hockey and school schedules. This is especially important if he feels he is struggling with his schoolwork. By following a schedule, he can try to have assignments completed before they are due. Then, he can get extra help if he needs it.