Generalizability of Risk Factors for Crime to Academic Dishonesty Between Genders

There is theory to support the possibility that risk factors for frank criminality may generalize to academic dishonesty. The field of criminal risk assessment has benefitted from increased gender responsiveness and similar attention regarding academic dishonesty is warranted. A secondary data analysis was completed focusing on gender and risk factors for crime that may extend to academic dishonesty, and the outcome of whether one cheated at their most recent opportunity. Exploratory analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics, point-biserial correlations, and logistic regression. There was a significant but small difference in men's and women’s scores on an index of risk factors for crime, men: M = 10.63, SD = 4.41; women: M = 9.82, SD = 4.20; t(743) = –2.24, p = .03, d = 0.19, 95% CI [0.03, 0.35]. Moderate relationships were found between this index and cheating for both men and women, r = .30 and 0.29, ps < .001, respectively. In bivariable analyses, several risk factors were significantly associated with cheating across genders, whereas family/intimate relationship problems and academic school/work problems were only significant for women. In multivariable models, procheating attitudes was the only significant predictor for men, whereas cheating history, procheating associates, and substance misuse were significant predictors for women. The model for women had modestly more explanatory power overall, R2 = .19 vs. .26, respectively. The criminal risk assessment literature may lend some utility to the prediction of, and in turn, efforts to decrease risk for, academic dishonesty. However, some degree of gender responsiveness—the importance of which has been recognized in the field of criminal risk assessment—seems similarly warranted for academic dishonesty.