Could Your Kid Be Cheating in School?

5. Your child has too much on her plate. Piano lessons, sports, religious instruction, not to mention the weekly babysitting gig—all this plus homework can be too much for some (if not most) kids. Indeed, being overscheduled is a "strong risk factor for cheating," says Dr. Anderman. If your child is struggling under the weight of her extracurricular obligations, cut some out. "Academics need to be the number-one priority," he says.

6. Your child complains about unfair teachers. A student who thinks she's in an unfair situation, even if she's simply blaming her problems at school on her teachers, may rationalize that cheating is acceptable, says Dr. Fishman. So talk to your child about what she thinks is unfair. If she has a point—say, the teacher habitually assigns 300-page weekend reading assignments or has different rules for different students—help your kid figure out how to break up the work into more manageable chunks or consider aligning with other parents to talk to the teacher about her policies.