Only 20 percent of teens gave the same answer in last year’s poll.  In addition, more than 8 out of 10 (83%) teens turn to their "Friends" for help in making ethical decisions, followed by "Parents" (68%), "Teachers" (27%), "Internet" (24%) and "Clergy" (14%). "Boss," "Library" and "School Counselor" were rated in single digits.

More encouraging is the percentage of teens who think people who practice good business ethics are more successful than people who don’t, which jumped to 62 percent in 2004 from 56 percent in 2003.

The poll of 624 teens between the ages of 13 and 18 was conducted between July 9 and 23, 2004 as part of the "Excellence through Ethics" curriculum a $1 million initiative of Junior Achievement (JA) and Deloitte to promote business ethics among today’s young people.  JA has expanded the curriculum by adding 10 new ethics lessons, which will be taught in classrooms across the country beginning this fall.

"These poll results indicate that teens are getting mixed messages, so we continue to believe that ethics education must begin early, during formative years," said James H. Quigley, CEO of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.  "Every generation needs to learn and understand why bending the rules is not only wrong but also not good business."

"The main reason the free enterprise system remains so successful is that it is built upon a foundation of ethical behavior," said David S. Chernow, president and CEO of JA Worldwide. "It is imperative that we as adults emphasize the importance of ethics to our young people in order to keep our free enterprise system, and our nation, strong."

Excellence through Ethics is a business ethics curriculum designed to teach young people that responsible, ethical behavior is the cornerstone of the American free enterprise system. Activities are designed for classroom use and are valuable tools to help teach students about ethics. Content of the lessons include: examining the concept of intellectual property rights, learning the importance of presenting yourself accurately and truthfully during a job search, making ethical decisions, learning why insider trading is illegal, exploring ethical accounting practices and understanding why ethical standards are important for business people.