THE HOLE IN THE MORAL OZONE IS GETTING BIGGER

According to a report just released by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, the number of high school students who admit they cheated on an exam in the past 12 months jumped from a disturbingly high 61 percent in 1992 to an even worse 74 percent in 2002. There is a hole in our moral ozone and it's getting bigger.

Ten years ago 31 percent of the high schoolers said they stole something from a store in the previous year. This year the number soared to 38 percent. What's more, 28 percent admitted stealing from a parent or other relative.

Remember, these are not nine- or ten-year-olds swiping a candy bar. These are teenagers who are close to entering the workforce.

Kids also are more willing to lie. In 2000, 36 percent said they lie to save money. That figure went up to 46 percent in 2002. And 37 percent said they'd lie to get a good job.

When you consider that this is the next generation of corporate executives and cops, politicians and parents, nuclear inspectors and airline mechanics, the implications of these numbers are sobering.

These data paint a dismal picture of the ethics of youth, but we shouldn't delude ourselves. This is not a generation of moral mutants. Their moral potential is the same as every other generation. The difference is in the adults. These are our children raised and taught by parents, teachers and coaches who haven't cared enough to create an environment that teaches, enforces, advocates and models integrity. It doesn't have to be this way.

You can examine the data in detail at http://www.charactercounts.org.