1. Define Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of personally taking credit for someone else's work, which is considered fraud and literary theft. Plagiarism goes beyond the scope of the written word and can be applied to ideas, products and any information created by another person or source and presented as if you created it solely on your own. You can plagiarize by reproducing a few sentences from someone else's work without attribution.
2. Talk With Your Children About Plagiarism
Ask your children about their projects and where they got the information to complete them. Explain what plagiarism is and how it affects their work, grades and reputation. Share stories about people whose reputations were ruined by plagiarism. Explain the terrible consequences they faced after they were caught stealing someone else's work. You'll find many examples of authors and journalists whose careers were extinguished or badly blemished by plagiarism.
If you know of a student who was caught stealing information for a paper, share how he received a failing grade as punishment for his offense. Discuss how people and organizations have lost millions of dollars after being sued for plagiarism. For example, the television station TBN was sued for $40 million after producing "The Omega Code," a movie that closely resembled a book "The Omega Syndrome," a book by Sylvia Fleener. While the movie didn't lift words directly from the book, the storyline was deemed too close to the book to be original content. Take your child to the law book section of a library and show him the legal definition of plagiarism, and then discuss what it means so you ensure he grasps the concept.
3. Prevent Plagiarism
After teaching your kids about plagiarism, work with them to prevent it. Help students set aside enough time to do their research properly and remind them to give attribution to any sources they've used, following guidelines provided by their teacher. Teach your child proper research skills by taking him through the researching process for a few assignments. Review your child's work before it is turned in to make sure it meets the school's standards.
