Many high schools, colleges, and universities have honor codes or honor systems intended to cultivate integrity and prevent dishonest academic behavior such as cheating, theft and plagiarism. Honor codes may require students to write a statement on submitted work stating that the work is theirs, to enforce honor codes, or honor codes may simply be a rule that students must follow. Schools that have already implemented honor codes have shown that honor codes are not effective, which is why Hammonton High School should not establish an honor code. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Honor codes, which often take the form of written positions, are ineffective because written words will not change a student's actions. At Lawrence Academy, a private boarding school in Massachusetts, the honor code required "students to write an oath of honor on each piece of work submitted, declaring that it was the result of their own thought and effort" (Source B). Not only are the written words excessive, they only serve as unnecessary reminders that remind students of what they already know. Every student will always know that cheating is prohibited plagiarism and that they do not need a constant written reminder of something that will never leave their mind. An academically dishonest student who cheats and plagiarizes will not care about the words on their paper saying that the world is their oyster and would cheat anyway. Whether or not there is an oath of honor written on a paper, taking someone else's work and claiming it as your own is the very definition of cheating or plagiarism. Some school honor codes are enforced by the student body, which is not effective because the majority of students will not report their peers or friends if they see them cheating. A survey at a small private university shows that only 8% of students would report a fellow student for cheating and that 40% of students violated the honor code and were not arrested (Source E). At the University of Virginia, the school's honor code requires the student to write an honor statement on each test. The honor code is controlled by the student body. Despite this, 157 students were involved in a cheating scandal (Source D). The low percentage of the survey and the massive number of students involved in the cheating scandal prove that the majority of students will not report their peers for dishonest behavior. Students fear that reporting their peers will create friction between them, and they are unlikely to report their friends and watch them fail an assignment or be kicked out of a college. For these reasons, honor codes imposed on students are not effective. Keep in mind: this is just an example. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay High schools should not establish an honor code because honor codes are ineffective. Writing words on a piece of paper will not stop a dishonest student from cheating or plagiarizing, and honor codes imposed on students are not effective because students are not likely to report their peers for cheating. Students at Hammonton High School already know that they are not allowed to cheat or plagiarize without being constantly reminded. They know that all their work is supposed to be theirs and that there are consequences for cheating or plagiarism. A code, 27(2), 148-164.