try swiffer sweeper vac. these kids think they're trying out for a new pop culture quiz show. >> i don't think we're supposed to be talking. >> these kids want a spot on a new ultimate challenge show. >> 18, 19. >> they have no idea we're the ones testing them. to see if they'll cheat. >> does anybody know who is going in? >> while our cameras and their parents watch. >> oh, my gosh. >> would your child give into temptation? >> he changed his answer. >> i don't like that. >> we'll tell you what you might be doing wrong. >> i'm a little disappointed, actually. >> and show you how to do it right. >> i want you to be a strong

person and really stand up for yourself. please, put away your phone. >> just do what i told you to do. >> put away your phone. >> natalie morales with "my kid would never do that." welcome to "dateline," everyone. i'm lester holt. we all want our kids to shine in school and on the playing field. and so do they. but how do we make sure they do well on their own? and not by cheating? natalie morales joins us with important information that could help as we continue our hidden camera look at the secret life your children. >> lester, everyone knows the key to success is hard work. unfortunately, as some kids discovered, cheating is easier. but there are things you that you can do to raise a kid who doesn't cheat. now you may think your kids would never take the easy way out. but watch and learn. >> every day, every class. >> just turn left and you look at the other kids' paper.

>> everyone cheats at one time or another. >> it's an open secret in just about every american school. >> i'm up all night studying and they're cheating. >> experts, an epidemic. students say it's an art. >> they try to be a better cheater than to be a better student. >> i've seen girls right in the slits of their skirts. they put little pieces of paper for answers in their boots. >> write on the inside of water bottles. >> the most clever form of cheating i've ever seen is kids using american sign language. >> the teacher is oblivious. you can look at a friend and say what's number three? >> the techniques may change but cheating has been around as long as teachers have been giving tests. >> when you're really given a conflict, what are you going to do? you know, some of you are in high school. >> robin is a expert in team dynamics and the author of "owning up." while some may say cheating is a

victimless crime, she tells kids what's really at stake. >> if you cheat, at a certain point your knowledge or lack of knowledge or lack of ability is going to come forward. and not only will you be punished, but people will think that you're a fraud. >> that's what happened last fall in a new york suburb where teens from top rated high schools were arrested for cheating on the s.a.t. they're charged with get paid to take the test for other students, all have pleaded not guilty and the case has forced the s.a.t. to tighten test security. >> the bottom line is however you look at it, it's very prevalent. >> eric anderman is a professor of professional schooling at ohio state university. he has analyzed 50 years of data on cheating trends and says that by the time students graduate from high school today, 80% to 85% of them have cheated at least once. >> not everyone but most are doing something that most of us would consider an act of cheating.

>> do you think parents are aware of how extensive cheating is? >> no. i really don't. i think most of us think that our sons or daughters would do that. >> so we would like to think that my kid would never cheat, you're about to meet brave parents who are actually willing to find out. all of them say they talk about honesty at home. but it'ss message getting through? we'll see if their kids can resist the bad behavior that is all around. with our hidden cameras rolling, we'll put cheating to the test. when confronted with chance to fudge a score, or cheat on a quiz -- >> i think it's c. >> what will these good kids do? >> we cheated so much. >> oh, well. >> and will anyone tell the truth about it later? >> so everything is totally -- that's honest times and honest

scores? we start in a middle school gym to find out what these kids will do about cheating in sports. they're here to audition for an ultimate challenge tv show for kids. at least that's what they think. >> hi, my name is brianna. >> hi, i'm natasha. >> hi, my name is anthony. >> we'll run them through a series of physical challenges led by personal trainer who will emphasize that they need to do well or they're out. >> if you cannot do better than 30 seconds, you're probably not going to make it. >> what they don't know and we rigged the gym with hidden cameras and planted an actress in the group to cheat. >> hi, my name is lauren. >> despite what we heard about how common cheating is, this dad is confident his son anthony would never do it. >> he's a good student. s very athletic. he is very competitive. >> does he play by the rules? >> 100%. he plays by the rules. and today he would get upset if he finds someone cheating.

>> brianna's mom says her daughter has a strong moral come pass. >> although i think she struggles with peer pressure like most children her age. >> peer pressure situation where perhaps others are goating her to cheat, how do you think she may respond? >> i don't see her cheating. because she has too much of a guilty conscience, i think. >> and natasha's mom says her daughter is not likely to be pushed around. >> don't think that she'll allow someone to make her lie or cheat. that's my gut instinct. if i find out otherwise, eye be very surprised. >> we'll be watching on monitors in a room not far away. what will these kids do when they think no one is looking? >> they're not watching. i'm putting 19. >> when we come back, the moment of truth for the kids. >> no! >> and the parents. >> that's pressure. >> "when my kid would never do that" continues. hi, mom. i got it. you'r and waitress, dog walker and flier-hander-outer. but mostly an actress. you just

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hidden cameras are rolling as these parents watch to see if their kids will be tempted to cheat. middle schoolers think they're competing for a spot on an ultimate challenge show for kids. cheating researcher eric anderman says having something big at stake is what motivates some kids to bend the rules. >> it's really, you know, what is the carrot at the end of the stick? what's the incentive? if it's big enough for them, then they will cheat. >> so something like being cast on a tv show. probably enough of a carrot there. >> absolutely. >> the kids don't know we've hired an actress to cheat for the group. our coach explains the competition. >> go! >> the whole group has to race through the obstacle course as fast as possible then record their times on the board. the best score will be the lowest. >> i will take the best score

out of those times and that's the score that i'll give you. >> and there are two important rules. don't knock over the hurdles -- >> if you knock over a hurdle, you have to start all over. >> and no hands to go faster on the scooter. >> and you do not use your hands. >> the coach puts our actress lauren, the cheater in charge of the clock. then leaves the group alone. >> i'm working on honor system here because they need me with the other kids. >> on the first run through, everyone follows the rules. when natasha knocks over a hurdle -- how do i put that back up? >> start over. >> she fixes and it starts again. >> go back! >> the next time through the obstacle course our actress encourages everyone to go faster by using their hands on the scooter. in other words, cheat. >> use your hands a little bit. >> brianna objects. >> no. >> she's telling her to use her hands. she's like no, no. >> the group finishes the

obstacle course in 33 seconds but our cheater wants to lie and write down a faster time. >> how about if we just put 29? >> brianna speaks up again trying to keep the group honest. >> no. >> come on, one second. >> i don't think that's -- i don't mean to be a party popper. >> gosh, the pressure. >> our actor goes around to the other side of the board and finds some fake scores we planted from a competing team. guys, look at the scores on the back. >> what? >> 20? >> we got to speed it up. >> this team thinks the other kids did it faster. so the cheater goes ahead and lies about their time writing down 29 instead of 33. but as his father predicted, anthony won't let her do it. >> no. no. 33. in fact, he stops the cheating by erasing the false time and writing the correct one. 33 seconds. >> oh, no, this is 33.

>> so far, so good. but the competition isn't over yet. another run through the obstacle course and then there is a hurdle challenge. this time when our cheater tells her to ignore the rules and keep going -- >> keep going. keep going. to her mother's surprise, she does. >> she kept going. >> oh, no. >> how did you do? >> okay. >> our coach comes back to give them the next test, try to do the highest number of jumping jacks in ten seconds. >> jumping jacks. how many can you do in ten seconds? good luck. >> once the coach is out of the room, three, two, one. go. >> our actress lauren will start boosting the numbers. >> 14, 15, 16. >> natasha does 16. >> i'm going to put 19. >> lauren writes down 19. and this time no one says a word. brianna who tried to stop the

cheating earlier doesn't look happy. >> brianna really seemed to be pressured it looked like to me. >> right. >> and just like that, the cheater has taken control. >> 15, 16, 2717 -- >> this boy does 20 jumping jacks. our actress wants to put more. he stood up to her earlier, but now he shrugs as the cheater writes down the false number, 21. the others stay quiet, too. >> did you see what is happening here? they're all, like, agreeing. >> yeah. >> they're going with the flow. >> putting numbers up that they know are the no the right ones. >> something is going on with him. he is very quiet. >> when i go in, they think i'm the host of the fake ultimate challenge show. they tell me the scores are all correct and, in fact, they say lauren did a great job as score keeper. >> she was about with that? >> yeah. >> she got it right every time? >> uh-huh.

>> really? let's see if they stick to that story when they hear this is not an audition. >> you're going to be on tv but the show is dateline nbc and it's a special report on cheating. and we have cameras throughout the room. your parents have been watching. did you actually do 21 jumping jacks? >> no, 19. >> 19? >> yeah. >> why did you go along with 21? >> peer pressure. >> yeah, peer pressure. >> i was trying to, like, go against her and say 19. four out of five people said no let's go up so i -- >> so you went with the max. >> because we want to get on the show. >> brianna says while she clearly knew the cheating was wrong, speaking up just got too hard. >> i didn't feel like i had a say. because they were the ones taking -- it didn't feel right.

it's complicated. >> it doesn't surprise me that she would say that. she talked about peer pressure a lot. i think she struggles with it. >> these thing dozen happen. >> it's a story that robin who works with teens on ethical issues has heard before. >> it is complicated. she was trying. it wasn't working. it made her feel like what is the point of us speaking out when i'm just going to be overridden? >> very apparent. >> peer pressure. >> i think it's really important for parents to realize how powerful group dynamics are, not just for kids but for all of us. >> did you realize what was going on with the number and everything like that? >> yeah. >> okay. so for these kids and parents, a lesson learned. >> so as a father now, what are you talking to him about when you're driving home today? >> this was peer pressure. and it was with five other kids. he just went along with the flow. and he didn't put a stop to it. and that's something that we need to bring up and talk to our children about. >> we'll see. we'll see. >> we have another group of parents ready to find out if

their kids have what it takes to stand up to the cheaters. and this time we meet a mom who makes a surprising prediction. >> you think she's going to join them? >> yeah. >> in the cheating. >> will her daughter prove her wrong? >> coming up -- >> you know i'm on tv. >> i do. >> miranda's big decision. will she do the right thing when "dateline" continues. # artih the guys who built it. i can't believe they're actually going to let me drive it. all right, it's got what? 360 horsepower. 365 horsepower. let's see what that feels like. so this is 365 horsepower. all while delivering really great fuel economy. so we're getting great fuel economy? cuz that's what i'm thinking about right now.

we're in a middle school gym rigged with hidden cameras as a group of parents prepare to watch their kids struggle with an ethicaldilemma. what will happen when given an opportunity to cheat? >> miranda's mother knows how powerful peer pressure can be.

she says sher daughter is the go along to get along type. and suspects she just might join the cheaters. >> i think miranda might even help them do it. >> you think she's going to join them? >> yeah. i love her to death. but she is so kind. she's a people pleaser. she wants to make everybody happy. >> xavier and julia think the opposite. predicting their kids will stand up to the cheaters. >> i'm thinking she's not going to follow the crowd if they're doing something that's inappropriate or that she knows i wouldn't approve of. but i guess we'll find out. >> the kids race through the obstacle course as fast as they can. the first time through, they do it in 40 seconds. >> 40. >> but later the actress planted to cheat wants to change the time to 34. right away, miranda speaks up. but not in the way her mom predicted. >> i think we should keep it.

>> why? >> who wants to be on a tv show? >> i want to be truthful about it. >> that's huge to be able to speak out like that. >> they do the obstacle course again, this time in 29 seconds. and listen to what miranda says when the cheater writes down 20 instead. >> you don't want to be on tv? >> i do. but i don't want to be a liarment and she's not finished yet. >> when miranda does 19 jumping jacks -- >> why don't we put 20? >> i'd rather keep it 19. i'd rather put 19. >> i'm just saying, who wants to be on a tv show. >> i will, but not like that. >> what do you mean not like that? they're not going to know. >> i will know. i cannot live with the guilt. >> good for her. >> she was giving that girl a hard time. she's getting angry. >> i hear what you're saying. i'm going to put 20 and move on. >> no. >> why? >> fine, i'm going to put 19. >> thank you.

>> she is ticked right now. >> and when our coach comes back and looks at the times they got on the obstacle course, miranda's mom is shocked by what happened. >> it wasn't truthful. >> what do you mean? >> it wasn't 20. >> oh, my god. miranda is showing you up here. >> she is. very much so. i'm very proud of her. she definitely makes the right decisions when the time is right. i'm impressed. i'm very impressed. proud of my girl. >> then i tell them why they're really here. we're doing a show on cheating. and your parents have been watching. so they're actually very proud of you because you guys did call lauren out on the cheating. >> good job. >> miranda, your mom has a bit of an apology. miranda didn't know her mother was watching today but when talking to kids about ethics, it's a good idea to tell them to simply imagine being watched all the time. >> i always think about who is the person we respect the most

in our life. just as we're about to do something that we're thinking is it ethical? they'll know that you have that person in your head. basically acting like that camera and thinking if this person saw me right now doing that, how would that feel? >> i didn't think you would react that way. i really thought you would go along. >> miranda's mother leaves corrected and proud. while her daughter did the right thing today, she says there is more that parents should be talking about with their kids. she says in the real world, standing up for what's right is not always popular. >> what are you going to say to people who might get angry at you because you came forward and did the right thing? you can't guarantee that people will thank you for it. >> there's no doubt that standing up to cheaters is hard. but it may be even tougher in our next test. we're leaving the gym to take a test in the library. and students tell us that most kids think cheating in school is no big deal. >> people go crazy if people cheat on sports. in school, i don't think people

really care as much. >> no one cares. >> cheating researcher eric anderman -- is there a difference between the cheating in sports and cheating in academics? >> there's a difference in terms of what is tolerated. if you're a bad sport if you cheat in sports. whereas in a classroom, it makes them cool to be seen as cheating on academic kind of things. >> we hired two new actors to play the cheaters. what will happen when they do this -- >> you think it's c? >> i put d. >> you put d? >> yeah. >> oh, my gosh! >> when we come back, everybody's doing it, or at least it seems that way. and after the test, the lessons begin. >> you're not in trouble, okay? when "my kid would never do that" continues. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] aggressive styling. a more fuel-efficient turbocharged engine. and a completely

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we've seen how some kids react to cheating in sports even when it would benefit their own team. >> i will know. i cannot live with the guilt. >> now we're in a school library and both experts and kids tell us cheating in school is the norm. >> so many students see it as so prevalent, so common, to prolific that they don't see it as really a big, big transgression. >> these parents are hoping their kids would never cheat. but are they ready to find out? >> if you're not honest with yourself, you dig yourself a hole. >> i know. i'm so excited. >> sasha's mother says she is a happy go lucky friendly kid. while they rarely discuss cheating, they talk about honesty all the time. >> they have to be very honest with not only yourself but your friends and your family. >> so what are your predictions for what might happen today? >> i hope he does the rig thing. >> did you see that katie perry died her hair blonde?

>> emma says her daughter is a smart student. she remembers what happened back in elementary school when a classmate tried to copy emma's work. did she tell the cheaters at that time? >> she did. >> did she tell the teher? >> she did. >> how do you think she'll react when cheating starts happening around her? >> i think she'll be really stressed and nervous. >> and while her mom thinks she will resist the temptation to cheat, she admits she's not sure. >> kids act differently when they're not with their moms. >> thank you so much for coming today. >> sasha, gianna and emma think they're here to be tested on pop culture. a dry run our producer tells them for a game show nbc is developing. >> we need your help to try to develop this new show. >> the questions will be about tv shows and music, lighthearted stuff. but it's the competition that experts say motivates some kids to cheat. the parents are watching as we

give these kids their first test, an individual quiz. >> we want to get a sense of how much you know by yourself. >> any student knows that means no talking. hidden cameras are rolling and our producer lee is pin dropped silence until the two actors we hired to cheat break the rules. >> number six, i think it's c. do you think it's c? >> i say d. >> did you put d? >> as her mother predicted, emma looks nervous. >> you just saw her look at the door. >> is somebody watching? >> but sasha, the social butterfly, joins the conversation with the cheaters. >> it's "glee," right? >> all right. >> emma, the serious student tries to tell the group to stop talking. but they keep chatting. >> hold on.

kind of want to change that now. >> let me change it to b. >> and watch what sasha does now. >> oh, my gosh. >> so sasha changed his answer. >> they were all talking to him, too, comparing. it's not like he was the only one. >> so how did you feel? >> i don't like that. >> time for their next assignment, a group test. >> you have to collectively decide what you can do. >> we put our actress in charge of writing down the answers they come up with together. >> yes. >> that's it. >> and now that they're no longer cheating, emma seems to relax. >> prince william got married earlier this year. what is the name of his new wife? >> kate middleton. >> you watched the royal wedding. >> yeah. >> they're getting along so well that the next challenge is going to be tough for anybody. >> it's going to hard for them to confront.

>> we rigged with the next cheating temptation. the answer sheet is stapled to the back of the quiz. when our actress finds it, it will look like our mistake. there though as the questions get harder. >> give the names the famous siblings? >> our actress pretends to discover the cheat sheet we planted. >> oh, my gosh, these are the answers. >> instead of protesting, sasha appears to be celebrating the group's good fortune. he excitedly reads off the cheat sheet. >> name four judges on nbc "the voice." >> adam, c-lo -- >> he is celebrating the answers to the questions. >> i'm very uncomfortable with that. he'll learn from this experiment, that's for sure. >> as the group copies down answers, emma starts to look uneasy again. especially when they discuss what might happen later when their quiz gets check. >> they're going to be like

they're really smart. >> that's how you get on. it makes me feel sad that she doesn't feel comfortable enough to say hey they said don't do that. >> how are you guys? >> now i head into the library to ask them about the test. >> did you have fun doing this? >> yeah. >> i let them squirm a little. >> you seemed to really know your pop culturement. very good. then tell them what our show is really about. this is actually a show on nbc but it's a show on cheating. we have hidden cameras all around the room and your parents have been watching. >> i was going to say, oh, my gosh. >> emma admits right away it is one of the younger kids in the library, she felt helpless. >> i didn't think we should cheat. but i was embarrassed to say anything. >> the teacher comes in to say what they did is typical for kids their age.

>> so you are not in trouble. okay? so everyone take a deep breath. >> she says with so many kids in school cheating, it can start to seem normal, even necessary even though it's wrong. >> i should have said something. but i was kind of -- i didn't really want to say something. >> is honesty important to your parents? like super important? >> yes. >> and then you get into these situations and it's a lot trickier. right? i know that parents like to talk about it's important that you're honest. don't lie. but we don't give them a context sometimes for what that's going to look like. so cheating is a specific way of being dishonest. i would be specific with your kids about what honesty looks like to you. >> hello. >> she says tell kids point blank, cheating equals lying. so in this case, it's a learning experience for both mother and son. >> you have a voice, use it. find a way to make a wrong into a right and not participate. don't get, you know, easy to get sucked into a bad situation.

but this situation came up again. you are going to remember what happened here? >> i will probably tell them to stop. >> probably? >> good job. >> want to get ice cream? >> sure. >> but there's another group of kids waiting in the wings and this time the cheating escalates to a whole new level. >> these are the answers. >> coming up -- >> you are cheating so much. >> oh, but it is cheating. >> this is an nbc "dateline" show we're doing about cheating and your parents have been watching you guys. how do you feel? >> busted. say hi to mrs. williams... we let everybody and their momma merge... and the one bright spot, mcdonald's... where we get one of those sweet and creamy iced coffees. -enjoy. -thank you. caramel. everyday! ♪ ♪ hazelnut? [ male announcer ] mccafe iced coffee. vanilla. hazelnut. or caramel. the choice is yours. tomorrow we're

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these teenagers think they can like the cash dashians. >> my favorite show is "america's got talent." >> my favorite show is "ant farm." >> they're here to try out for a new pop culture quiz show for kids. but that's just a ruse. their parents brought them to this school library for a demonstration about cheating. and they're about to be confronted with the dilemma that their moms and dads never had to think about back when they were in high school.

>> people use answers on their phone all the time. it's clak of a button, can you get the answer you want. >> technology is really sort of the new frontier when it comes to cheating. >> kids are using technology so often in such integrated ways to get information about everything. but when you are specifically told do not use them and you use them anyway, then you are cheating. >> so before the quiz, we make sure to give them this important instruction. >> you can not use cell phones for answers. >> kyle was just been promised a cell phone for good grades. >> did you talk to him about cheating and the consequences of cheating? >> we always do. if you see a friend or somebody doing something you feel is not right, you need to say to him this isn't right. i'm walking away from you. i'm not doing what you're doing. >> jasmine's mother says she's been trying to teach her daughter to stand her ground with other kids but she's not sure what will happen today. >> and what if she goes along

with the cheating and participates in the cheating? how will you feel about that? >> i'm not going to be hangry. it just goes to show me there is more we have to work on and talk about. >> jasmine and kyle are in the library with 12-year-old abby and the actors we hired to cheat. our producer tells the group that the higher they score, the more likely they'll get a shot at being on the show. >> we'll ask the groups that we think do well to come back and audition for it. >> we leave them alone, hidden cameras rolling. >> miles, right? >> and our cheaters quickly break the first rule. no talking during the individual test. >> we put higher numbers because that will increase our chances. and once the cheaters are talking -- >> wait. >> all the kids start sharing answers. >> jaden smith and -- >> yeah, jaden smith. >> oh, kyle. >> emma roberts.

>> it's a quiz about pop stars, not a.p. history. but still it's clear these kids know what they're doing is cheating. listen to what kyle says. >> i don't think we're supposed to be talking. >> right. >> and, yet, all of them, including kyle keep going. >> does anybody know who bella is? >> i don't think we're supposed to be talking but he is still asking the question. >> now they're all comparing answers. >> mine is asking all the questions. >> next the group project, sharing allowed. >> what position does derek jeter play? >> shortstop. >> the kids work together as the questions get tougher. >> name the parents of the collin family. >> put a question mark. >> name all the kardashians in order from oldest to youngest. >> i don't know. >> there's kim, khloe -- >> no, she is younger. >> when they get stopped, the

actors propose a new way to cheat. >> does anybody have a phone? >> i don't have a phone. >> i still have mine. >> search the answers. >> no. >> just a little? >> no. >> and while kyle and the real kids have voiced reservations, the actors take out the phone anyway. >> what if she walks in? >> they look uneasy but no one tells them to stop. >> in order kourtney -- >> i think because everybody's having a good time talking, she's kind of just going with it. she's going with the flow. >> i'm surprised she hasn't spoken up more. i'm a little disappointed, actually. >> the name of the parents of the horn family. >> come on, kyle. say something. >> would do you like him to have done? >> put the phone away. i don't want to get in trouble. >> do you think in this swas situation you would do that? >> now, yes.

>> we cheated so much. >> when the quiz is over, these kids reveal something that makes their parents happier, the conversation turns to smoking and drugs. >> i don't think a lot of people would do this. >> that's good. we teach good. we got a little good out of it. >> hi, guys. how are you? but back to the quiz, how do you think they'll explain some of the answers we know they looked up online. >> the kardashians -- i'm impressed. >> we watch the kardashians of new york. >> oh, okay. so you knew all the kardashians? >> i knew a lot them. >> really? i wonder if they watched "dateline." this is an nbc "dateline" show we're doing about cheating and your parents have been watching you guys. how do you feel? >> busted. >> all of them say it was the heat of the moment that made them act like they normally wouldn't. >> kind of like was turning.

>> taking out phone and finding papers. something i don't like to do. >> so what should a teenager do when other kids cheat? rosalynn comes in with some advice. >> it's not like you're going to see somebody cheat and say oh, my gosh, miles! you're cheating. that is so bad. that is against the school rules. don't you know that? you have to stop that right now. then you sound like some kind of after school special. that's weird, right? >> much better, she says, be short but firm. you don't have to be long winded sentences about it. seriously, stop. right? in your own words. >> let's say miles is looking up the answers. >> we asked kyle to role play and give it a try. >> so annoying. he's not listening. >> right. do you think you could do that? >> yes. one of my friends, i would definitely do. that. >> what did you i >> kyle is relieved with his mother says he still gets to buy that cell phone he's been promised. >> did you learn anything from this? >> yeah.

>> jasmine is nervous. what will she say when she faces her mom? >> i lied for like everyone. we all lied for each other. i feel guilty about that. >> coming up, one final test. >> his name needs to be truthful and righteous. >> but can he live up to that name? and coming up friday on "dateline," while they were sleeping. their wedding was perfect. >> something you wait for all your life. you feel like a princess. >> their marriage, too. >> they completed each other. >> until it ended with a gunshot in the master bedroom. >> i could see him. >> hard to get that one out of your head, isn't it? >> yeah. >> would would want him dead and why did she escape without a scratch? was this princess bride now a prime suspect? >> the person that you love is dead. and then you're being looked at for it.

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what if she walks in? >> we watched this group of teens blatantly cheat on a test, looking up answers on a cell phone. >> this is a "dateline" show we're doing about cheating. and they just found out that their parents saw it all go down on hidden camera. >> the whole time my stomach was turning. my heart was beating. my heart is beating still. >> jasmine said she is disappointed in herself and

feels she let her mother down. >> hi. >> hi. >> we reunite them in the library. >> file guilty. >> why do you feel guilty? >> because i lied for like everyone. we all lied for each other. i feel guilty about that. >> how does that make you feel? >> it makes me cry because she's crying. >> but this mom knows her daughter's heart is in the right place. the rest just takes practice. first of all, you're here because i want you to realize how important it is for you to be strong, to be a strong person and really stand up for yourself and tolerate. not everybody does it. there are adults that don't do it. i know it's hard. i've been there. i mean you really -- you know what you stand for. >> yes. >> they said i don't really know why i cheated. you know, i was raised better than that. i know that that's wrong but i did it anyway. that's an amazingly important experience for a kid to have. and then be able to talk about it with hir mom or dad. >> we put these kids through tough situations.

if the tables were turned, how do you think the grownups would react? >> i think that they would do the same thing. >> it's easy to look at kids and say that's kids doing that. this is something that we often can get caught up in easily. >> so what can be done to reduce cheating in schools and make it easier for honest kids to stand their ground? cheating researcher and education professor eric anderman says there is a proven solution. how can we reduce cheating? >> it's a tall order. but in deemphasizing the absolute total importance of the grade. i mean that really is the bottom line. motivation to get grades is one of the strongest predictors of whether or not kids cheat or not. >> research shows that when schools and parents talk more about knowledge than grades, cheating goes down. >> in other words, you got a c. you didn't learn all the material. you're going to have to go back and learn the material and retake the test and get an a. the goal here is not for me to say you're a c student. the goal is to learn the stuff. >> if you're focused on grades,

grades, grades with your kid, they're going to hear you. when you're contributing to a situation where they will more likely cheat. and that is something that the hard thing for parents to hear. but you really have to hear it. >> so with our next group of students, we put that idea to the test. this time when our producer gives instructions, we make the audition less competitive. no longer stressing the importance of just getting the answers right. >> all we need to know from you is what you know, okay? you can get it wrong. that's okay. that also helps us. >> will it make a difference? at the table are twin sisters kristina and kaitlyn and an honor student who told her mom she doesn't like when it other kids try to copy her work. >> she felt very bad. she felt somebody was cheating off her. that that was doing them a disservice because they're not learning by that. >> and 11-year-old umtre, tre for short. >> actually, his name means to be truthful and honest, upright and righteous. >> can trey live up to that big name?

he's the youngest kid we're testing today. >> i'll give you a few minutes to do it. okay? once again, the actors start cheating during the individual test. and the twins go along helping each other out. that fraternal bond. >> what is the name of justice continue beeb justice continue bieger's new perfume? >> as they're all working together on the group project, the cheaters pull up the cell phone to look up the answer. >> hold on. >> no! don't. >> kathy and tra are adamant, don't do it. >> no. >> it's fine. you don't have to. >> i think -- i don't think -- please don't. please don't. >> it's the boldest push back we've seen in the library yet. >> put away your phone. please put away your phone. >> you can just watch the door.

>> no. please, stop. no. >> can i have the cell phone? >> no. >> we better shut it off. >> no. please, put away your phone. >> you have to get on the show, don't you? >> yeah, but i don't want to get on the show cheating. >> good, go sit down. >> put away your phone. >> is everybody happy? i put it away? when they find the cheat sheet we planted, kathy actually tries to take it from the cheater. >> stop. >> remember, with this group, we deemphasized the importance of getting all the answers right. and it seemed to have made a difference. kathy appears so confident that cheating is unnecessary that when our producer comes back in -- she doesn't hesitate to tell the truth about whats's going on. >> the answers are on back. we want to let you know. >> cassie, what she did there tells the adults, that is something we did not expect.

>> i really didn't expect it. >> you're here because we are doing a "dateline" episode about cheating. and your parents have been watching. >> look at you. >> you all did a great, great job. >> what happened there doesn't surprise me a bit. when the emphasis is on knowledge, kids not likely to cheat. it doesn't buy you anything. it doesn't get you anything. >> of course, grades will still be a part of school but experts say parents need to strike right balance at home. raising kids who would never cheat is an enormous challenge. whether it's teaching them to stand up for what's right or to bounce back when they don't. >> good job. >> our children are going to do things that we're not proud of. but i think it's important is that parents realize that parenting is a process. it's a journey, a long journey. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

natalie, the advice sounds solid. kids are under a lot of pressure. they have to get good test scores, good grades to get into a good college. so what's a parent to do? >> start off when they're really young, really early on, preschool age, before grades even come into the picture, put the emphasis on learning and knowledge. make it fun. make learning its own reward and as they get older, hard as it might be, try not to get hung up on the numbers. kids are under pressure from teachers and peers to get good grades. really, lester, it is really focusing on the effort, the learning, and not those numbers. >> these have been enlitening stories. you have another installment coming up. what is it? >> this is a important topic, certainly one we've been hearing and talking about a lot. what would your kid do or how would they handle a difficult situation involving discrimination? >> i believe in my race. >> i hear jokes about hispanics being immigrants. >> and they're like oh, so you're a terrorist? >> a sensitive subject. would your kid ever

discriminate? >> i think a lot of this doesn't look smart. >> whoa! >> courageous parents let their kids join in a special demonstration to find out. >> wow. >> a quiz show and a singing contest. >> we will always be -- >> will teens speak out against this kind of peer pressure? >> she's a terrorist. >> or this? >> he could be illegal. you know? >> probably crossed the border to come here. >> hard and important lessons learned for parents. >> i'm shocked. >> and kids. >> it's okay. i'm really sorry. >> i'm really not like that. >> you stood up there, buddy. >> it's a tough subject. we'll look forward to it. natalie, thanks very much. again, that's next sunday at 7:00, 6:00 central here on "dateline." that's all for this edition of "dateline sunday."

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