Survey finds teens willing to bend rules to get ahead

[flashl]

The next generation to enter the work force may be more likely to cheat and lie than their more senior colleagues, according to a recent survey.

Three-quarters of teenagers believe they are fully prepared to make ethical decisions, yet nearly 40 percent also believe that lying, cheating or violence are necessary to succeed, according to the survey conducted by Junior Achievement Worldwide.

More than half of those teens said their personal desire to succeed is the rationale. There were 23 percent who said violence toward another person is acceptable on some level.

The number of teens willing to bend the rules has more than doubled since the survey was conducted in 2003, according to Ainar Aijala, chairman of Junior Achievement Worldwide.

"Kids are seeing evidence of successful politicians, professional athletes, religious leaders, lawyers and business professionals being dishonest -- people they also see as their role models," Aijala said.

The results could be an indication of problems future employers may face.

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Wonder what the next 'Greed' generation have planned for their elders?

[Skidmore]

1. That's what happens when a society tries to eliminate shame from its lexicon.

There is room for a little healthy shame for dishonesty and cheating.

[Perry Logan]

2. It's not their fault. They've been watching neocons in action all their lives.

[Skidmore]

3. They've been watching their parents all their lives, who wink and nod

at bad behavior. It starts at home. Try modeling personal responsibility and requiring the child to take personal responsibility for their actions.

[Raine]

5. Just like that mother who "helped" her 6 yr old

daughter win that essay by lying and saying her father had been killed in Iraq. That child is going to grow up with no conscience, no shame and doing anything to get ahead thanks to what her parents taught her. x( I hope that I never have to go up against a kid like that for anything, she'd probably kill ya to get what she wants.

[Demeter]

4. In Fact, Those Who Do Not Cheat Nowadays Are At a Competitive Disadvantage

and god help us all if we don't figure out how to change that. We'll be just like Nigeria or the old USSR

[riverdeep]

7. I was reading a travelogue from someone who's been to Nigeria

many times. It said that you have to take anything of value to you on your person when you go out, because at the hotels, all hotels, the staff steals with the full blessing of the management (they take a cut). Do not put locks on the luggage because they will break it and you'll just have a damaged suitcase. He actually would buy something that looked valuable and place it in there, so they would take that and then go away.

The most interesting part was how he said this made the basic girders of a modern economy difficult to erect because things like lending and borrowing and whatever else came at a much higher price, since people were more likely to just take what they could, when they could. Funny how these 'soft' qualities have a massive impact on the real world.

[malaise]

6. They're simply following the model practiced

by Bushco and his corporate backers. No surprise here.

[riverdeep]

8. Kids aren't stupid.

We praise to high heaven the plunderers, and shove the genuine heroes into the background. Qualities like honesty and doing right by others is laughable in the sophisticated world today. What else are they supposed to think? I'm just surprised the number isn't much higher.

It's not just that they see people doing wrong, it's that they see them getting away with it, repeatedly. Scooter Libby, anyone?