Police have been able to prevent several ‘Columbine-like’ massacres
at U.S. schools recently thanks to tips from students, but should that information
come at a cost? Some school systems have started implementing programs that
offer monetary rewards to students who report their fellow students for violence,
cheating, carrying drugs, committing vandalism or various other offenses.
Students who notify school officials can earn up to $500 in some areas for
reporting certain crimes. Proponents of the tender-for-telling system say
it will encourage students who would not have otherwise spoken up, while
opponents say it will cause students to set up other students just to make
extra money and that schools should be concentrating on teaching citizenship
to students instead of teaching them to turn in others.

Research shows that students should report criminal activities,
however, whether or not they are getting paid. According to the National
Education Association (NEA), there is a difference between tattling
and telling:

• Children ‘tattle’ to get their own way or to get
  someone else in trouble.
• Children should be encouraged to ‘tell’ an adult
  when someone is in danger of getting hurt.

In addition to the new policies of getting money for telling, other
schools have started anonymous hotlines so parents or children can
provide information that could alert authorities to potential problems.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA),
one in 12 high schoolers is threatened or injured with a weapon each year.
To reduce that risk, the APA lists several warning signs kids need to recognize
in other students that could indicate violence is a serious possibility:

• Loss of temper on a daily basis
• Frequent physical fighting
• Significant vandalism or property damage
• Increase in use of drugs or alcohol
• Increase in risk-taking behavior
• Detailed plans to commit acts of violence
• Announcing threats or plans for hurting others
• Enjoying hurting animals
• Carrying a weapon

Once students recognize a warning sign, the APA says there are things
they can do. Hoping that someone else will deal with the problem
is “the easy way out.” Experts recommend the following:

• Above all, be safe. Don’t spend time alone with people
  who show warning signs.
• Tell someone you trust and respect (a family member, guidance
  counselor, teacher, school psychologist, coach, clergy or friend)
  about your concerns and ask for help.
• If you are worried about becoming
  a victim of violence, get someone to protect you. Do not resort
  to violence or use a weapon to protect yourself.

National Education Association
American Psychological Association

16-year-old
Tionja Simmons says, “My mom used to pay me for receiving
an A, like 10 dollars for receiving an A, 5 dollars for receiving
a B.” Ashley Brown’s parents promised her a new car
if she got straight A’s.

And Haley Stair says, “Like 20’s for A’s, 10’s
for B’s and everything else…just work harder.”

Just work harder. That’s the goal, but when it comes to
grades…does money really motivate? Teen Arketa Smith
says, “I would actually try to study harder just for the
money.”

Cash for grades may work at first…but the system
has a flaw. Clinical Psychologist Dr. Sherry Blake says, “What
happens is, like anything else, children will lose interest. Then
the cost will have to go up.”

And there’s an even bigger problem. Experts say paying
for grades won’t help kids develop an internal source of
motivation. “What we want to teach is you have to do it because
you want to do it. It’s coming from within. If it’s
external, then you’ll always be looking for things on the
outside to make them happy.”

She says, an occasional reward is fine… but only
once in awhile… and it doesn’t have to be money. Dr.
Blake says, “I want to warn parents, every time your child
does something doesn’t mean you need to pay them. It could
be just a great compliment, ‘That was fantastic.’”

Experts also say applaud your child’s effort, not
the grade or the score. And remember the best source of motivation
isn’t mom or dad, it’s what’s inside the child.

17 year-old Dureyea Collier says, “I feel that once you
want to better yourself, you’ll take that incentive on your
own. You don’t need to be pushed with money or whatever.”

Psychologists recognize that most kids need spending money. They
say it’s better to give an allowance then tie money to grades.

In a recent poll conducted by the Family Education Network, nearly 60
percent of parents responded that money is a good incentive for getting good
grades. In another survey, 62 percent of sixth- through twelfth-graders said
money receiving money would motivate them “a lot” to get good
grades. There are a variety of opinions regarding this topic, and it may
help to ask the following questions when considering whether or not to give
cash for grades:

• Should the satisfaction of doing a job well be enough of a reward
  for children?
• Adults are paid for their work … should students be,
  too?
• Is there a difference between giving money for good grades and
  buying CDs, toys, video games, etc., for good grades?
• Are businesses justified when they give special offers for good
  grades, honor roll, high attendance, etc?
• What are some of the
  short- and long-term messages and consequences from paying for
  good grades?

There likely will never be a general consensus on the topic
of giving money for good grades. However, Janet Bodnar, author of Dollars & Sense
for Kids, Chuck Smith, family life specialist at Kansas State University,
and experts at Parent to Parent encourage you to consider the following suggestions,
no matter which side of the topic you support:

• Focus on your child’s hard work, not necessarily the grade.
  One child will have no problem earning an A, while another will
  have to study like crazy for a C. Also, some achievements are difficult
  to quantify but still worthy of praise, such as good behavior or
  helping others in class.
• If you are going to give money to your child, give it as a treat
  after the fact rather than promising money ahead of time. The former
  is a reward, while the latter is more of an out-and-out bribe.
• Cash or no cash, tell your child you’re proud of him/her. Hugs
  and sincere words of encouragement often mean more than money.
• Alternatives to cash – give your child a day off from
  his/her regular chores; cook his/her favorite meal for dinner (or
  order pizza); go to the movies, bowling, out for ice cream or some
  other treat; call relatives to share the good news; hang the grade
  card on the fridge.
• Most experts agree that money works best as
  a motivator when it is used in small amounts over a limited period
  of time. The longer you do it, the less effective it becomes.
  Your goal should be to wean kids from cash.

AZ Central
Family Education Network
Right on the Money
Kansas State University
Parent to Parent