Plagiarism is theft.
Plagiarism is a crime from many standpoints. People who plagiarize are stealing someone's thoughts and work, and lying about it afterward by passing it off as their own. Plagiarism may consist of changing one word, paraphrasing, or copying an entire piece of someone else's work.
Intellectual Property
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) describes intellectual property as "creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce." When referring to works that are protected by copyright, the WIPO goes on to explain that while the ideas do not need to be your own, they must be expressed in a completely original way.
Plagiarizing at an Early Age
In a 2006 "Christian Science Monitor" article entitled "What is the Price of Plagiarism?" Karoun Demirjian explores the penalties associated with plagiarism to different degrees. In the article, Demirjian quotes Jane Kirtley--a Media Ethics and Law expert from the University of Minnesota--as saying, "A lot of students in their early education do not get a very good grounding from their instructors about when it's acceptable to use somebody else's material... There's also a sense among students today that if it's something they can find on the Internet, then by definition, they can use it freely without attributing it to anybody." Students, therefore, may not comprehend that they are actually plagiarizing if their parents and educators have not properly taught them about how plagiarizing is unethical, as well as the legal consequences of copying another's work.
Prevention
Adding a paragraph at the end of a college course syllabus about how plagiarism will result in an F for the course simply is not enough. If students truly understood plagiarism and its consequences at a very young age, perhaps they would know recognize it and stop themselves and others from doing it later in life--whether that be in high school, college or in their career and beyond.
Why People Plagiarize
The writers at Buzzle.com suggest people plagiarize because it's the "shortest and quickest route." Buzzle also thinks it's possible people plagiarize because it's either a thrill or they feel that their intellectual abilities are inferior to those they may find in some else's work. No matter why people do it, though, plagiarism is unethical and criminal.
Fun Fact
According to John McDevitt, a writer for the Helium website, the word "plagiarism" comes from the Latin word for "kidnap." Plagiarizers are, indeed, kidnappers; they are taking something that does not belong to them and keeping it for themselves.
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