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Counselors and researchers working with children deal with diversity on the everyday basis. Ethical values, as well as professional standards and regulations, support their actions and provide them with guidance in the context of a difficult decision making. The ethical conduct in the field of human behavior implies the ability to show respect for individuality and dignity of patients or clients, research participants, and other people with whom a counselor or a researcher interacts in the professional environment.
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Process
According to Nicholls et al. (2015), the purpose of research ethics review is “to ensure that human subjects were protected from unethical research” (p. 1). Ethical attitude towards study participants is essential in both qualitative and quantitative research processes. The purpose of ethics review is to ensure that researchers make everything possible to avoid harm to study participants and comply with all regulations and standards which protect the individual and public well-being. These major ethical principles include beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, and respect for human rights and dignity (American Psychological Association, 2017).
Researchers must reduce the possibility of harm and negative influences on study participants not merely concerning their physical well-being but psychological state and social identity as well. It is also important to ensure confidentially and avoid the disclosure of personal information without the permission of an individual. Practitioners should remember about professional ethics in both the arrangement of the research process and presentation of results to respondents or their caregivers. It means that, when presenting the study results, a psychotherapist must be informative and tactful in order to ensure that participants’ self-identity will not be damaged.
Mental Health Services
According to Koocher (2008), the decisions about a child’s referral to therapy or medical intervention are usually made by caregivers or school authorities. When a student is referred to educational or psychological assessment or counseling service due to behavioral problems, a psychologist should follow the standard of informed consent prior to the beginning of therapeutical or test procedures. Counselors always seek caregivers’ consent and inform them about the nature, purposes, and potential risks of the procedures. Both children and their parents should be given the opportunity to refuse the offered services, and despite the character of their choice, a competent specialist will always show respect to their decisions and rights (National Association of School Psychologists, 2010).
Since children usually have no decisional power in the context of therapy, conflicts of interest among young clients and their guardians may arise. A conflict of interests is a situation in which a child’s independence and autonomy are disrupted under the influence of his/her caregivers. The given concept is the most difficult to manage in practice because, on the one hand, a psychotherapist needs to comply with the legal regulations and, on the other hand, a young client’s fear that the specialist will take an unfavorable position towards his/her interests may interfere with the development of trustful relationships. Counselors should always put clients’ interests above all else.
Psychotherapists need to inform children about the scope of confidentiality and mention other ethical considerations. A counselor should critically evaluate the circumstances and make appropriate decisions regarding the scope of secrecy and attempts to find informed consent in parents. Additionally, to reduce the risk of disclosure, counselors should keep separate clinical records regarding the contacts with children and others (Koocher, 2008).
Mandatory reporting of suspected abuse or neglect represent the major threat to confidentiality. Koocher (2008) states that reporting based on suspicion may lead to some unfavorable outcomes including family destabilization. To avoid harm to clients, psychotherapists should be aware of all legal standards pertinent to the situation of mandatory reporting and know how to identify the symptoms of child neglect or abuse.
In accordance with Virginia mandatory reporting requirements, VA ST §§ 63.2-1508-1511, “any person who suspects that a child is an abused or neglected child may make a complaint concerning such child to the local department of the county or city wherein the child resides or wherein the abuse or neglect is believed to have occurred” (Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, 2009, p. 3). The reports should be addressed to the local child protective services or the court within seventy-two hours after the initial suspicion.
Lastly, according to the American Mental Health Counselors Association (2017), “the maintenance of high standards of professional competence is a responsibility shared by all mental health counselors in the best interests of the client, the public, and the profession” (p. 3). The principle of the professional competence is one of the most essential for practitioners. Sometimes patient/client guidance requires a set of well-developed skills, experience, and competence, and the lack of theoretical knowledge and decisional expertise may harm a client.
Thus, a psychotherapist should know how to assess his/her skills to avoid the incidents that may jeopardize his/her reputation and professionalism or put a patient’s well-being at risk. Practitioners must maintain professional development and have a critical attitude towards own conduct – it will help them to evaluate professional competencies and abilities adequately.
Conclusion
Ethical concerns in counseling and research are directly related to practitioners’ moral responsibility, and necessity of controlling personal actions in the process of data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination. It is possible to consider professionals’ conduct ethical in case they realize that their research methods are objective and consistent with relevant standards and laws. To achieve this level of service quality in various professional activities, practitioners should raise their awareness of ethical challenges and potential ways to resolve them.
References
American Mental Health Counselors Association. (2017). Code of ethics. Web.
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Web.
Koocher, G. P. (2008). Ethical challenges in mental health services to children and families. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64(5), 601-612. Web.
National Association of School Psychologists. (2010). Principles of professional ethics. Web.
Nicholls, S. G., Hayes, T. P., Brehaut, J. C., Mcdonald, M., Weijer, C., Saginur, R., & Fergusson, D. (2015). A Scoping Review of Empirical Research Relating to Quality and Effectiveness of Research Ethics Review. Plos One, 10(7). Web.
Rape Abuse and Incest National Network. (2009). Virginia mandatory reporting requirements regarding children. Web.
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