Academic Misconduct Through a Criminological Lens

This chapter considers the value of using criminological theory to explore, understand, and help prevent breaches and threats to academic integrity. The chapter focuses on assignment outsourcing (also known as contract cheating). Different criminological theories are presented and discussed for their relevance and application to the outsourcing of assignments in higher education. Theories may support educators in understanding why students choose to turn to outsourcing and how these behaviors manifest. Included theories consider external stressors and strains placed on people, which may lead to cheating; everyday scenarios encountered by people which may lead to conditions conducive to cheating; and modeled and reinforced behaviors that explain how people learn what is acceptable behavior in different contexts. Finally, other theories are presented which explicate excuses and controls that can either encourage or prevent academic misconduct. The chapter presents the foundations of the theories and how these can be used when designing strategies to reduce instances of outsourcing by students. The chapter concludes by presenting the benefits of considering the problem of assignment outsourcing from an interdisciplinary perspective.