Ethics And Boundary Issues

Moral Conflict Occurs and When It Needs to Be Resolved Ethically 

John Duke

Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work

 Florida Atlantic University

SOW 3302: The Profession of Social Work

David Simpson, Ph.D., LCSW (IL)

October 04, 2022

Abstract

Social work boundary problems highlight the complexity and difficulty of boundary-related ethical dilemmas in the field. This paper examines when a moral dilemma arises in therapist-client relationship and how it ought to be resolved. The paper demonstrates this in an analysis of a case study involving a social worker who engaged in unethical conduct with his client, causing boundary violations and boundary crossing. Also, the paper will analyze the need for social workers to spot potentially hazardous relationships, identify dependency situations, and differentiate between ethical and unethical dual relationships. Social workers are responsible for determining the values, ethical standards, and principles that inform their practice as part of the profession’s emphasis on ethics. The code of ethics developed by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) outlines the core values of the social work profession, which include promoting clients’ health and safety and to assist them in obtaining their most fundamental needs.

 Introduction

Social ethics pertain to the beliefs and principles guiding social workers’ interactions with their clients. It is customarily the social worker’s responsibility to establish a respectful and professional rapport with their clientele. To build a strong working connection, they need to earn each other’s trust, which primarily benefits the clients by allowing them to evaluate their comfort level by showing emotion. With a case study of a social worker and client whose relationship featured multiple unethical acts and subsequent boundary violations, this paper primarily analyzes professional ethics in social work. When social workers disregard the profession’s code of ethics, it can lead to breaches of boundaries with their clients. Social workers must be aware of the principles and ethics guiding the field to spot unethical and ineffective clients and take appropriate action…….Read More