Technique: Deal with these as socialization issues rather than transgression.

As noted in the developmental charting of ages and stages (see PEPSI model), there are various ages when students are more likely to have trouble with person integrity. For instance there are times when a certain amount of exaggeration is normal. There is a developmental phase when "not getting caught" seems more important than keeping a rule about telling the truth. Most children go through a stage of "taking things". In some cultures and families, "things" are held in common and using another’s possessions is unquestioned. Further, as noted in the chart that follows, Kohlberg (1981) discovered that understanding right and wrong is developmental. For these reasons, deal with errant behavior by:

1. Giving the student the benefit of the doubt with first offenses.
2. Working as a class to develop guidelines for integrity, explaining reasoning involved in the expectations
3. Teaching alternative ways and accepted means to get needs met
4. Providing consequences which instruct rather than shame offenders
5. Focusing on self control and building of community and relationship 
6. Using restitution as the guiding principle in providing consequences