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29 American J. Crim. Just. 1 (2004-2005)

handle is hein.journals/acnjrlocm29 and id is 1 raw text is: ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AMONG CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAJORS: A Research Notet ERIC G. LAMBERTtt University of Toledo NANCY LYNNE HOGAN Ferris State University ABSTRACT: There is a limited, but growing body of literature on the academic integrity of criminal justice majors. This study adds to the research by surveying 850 students at a Midwestern university and comparing criminal justice majors to students majoring in other disciplines. The survey consisted of various academic dishonesty behaviors, rationales for being academically dishonest, and whether or not the behaviors were ethical. The results indicated that there were some differ- ences between criminal justice and non-criminal justice majors; however, for most measures, the two groups of students were similar. Unfortunately, the overall level of cheating was high for both criminal justice and non-criminal justice students. INTRODUCTION Academic dishonesty, a serious concern on most college campuses, cuts to the heart of the purpose of higher education. Nevertheless, cheating is epidemic across most college campuses, and a majority of students have engaged in it to some degree at some point in their aca- demic careers (McCabe & Trevino, 1996). While many students engage in academic dishonesty, it is unclear whether criminal justice majors dif- fer from other students in their frequency of cheating, the forms of aca- demic dishonesty in which they engage, their views towards cheating, and their reasons for engaging in academic dishonesty. In order to com- bat cheating effectively, it is necessary to understand how and why it is done, who does it, and its different forms. This information is vital for criminal justice educators who may expect higher levels of integrity from students who may choose to enter into the criminal justice field. t The authors would like to thank Janet Lambert for editing and proofreading the paper. The authors also thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions. tt Direct all correspondence to: Eric G. Lambert, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Toledo, LRC 3550, Mail Stop # 400, Toledo, OH 43606. Email: eric.lambert@ utoledo.com. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, Vol. 29 No. 1, 2004 © 2004 Southern Criminal Justice Association