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7-3 Milestone Four: The Ethical Decision-Making Process

Statement of Culture and Social Orientations in the Case Study

When considering culture and social orientations in this study one should take into account how the child is being raised. In many foreign countries, it is believed that children should be seen and not heard. Because of this, it can prove difficult for children of these cultures to socialize with theirs peers without hesitation or expressing anxiety.

Statement of Dual Relationships or Multiple Relationship Issues in the Study

Dual relationships, also referred to as multiple role relationships, occur when therapists become involved in non-professional relationships with a person who may already be a client. This can also occur when a non-professional relationship evolves with a person who is directly related to a client such as a family member or close friend. Examples include but are not limited to, counseling family members or friends, befriending or becoming intimate with current clients, as well as promising to engage in future intimate relationship with clients, once treatment is complete. One possibility of an unethical relationship that could occur in the longitudinal study I am focusing on, would be the possibility of the researchers becoming close with parents and/or family members of the participants. Due to the extended time period of the research, it is very possible for to become close and establish relationships with people who you come in contact with often.

The Ethical Decision-Making Model (Eight-Step Model)

The Ethical Decision-Making Model is a tool used to guide mental health professionals through the decision-making process. The steps to this model are as follows:

1. Collect all of the facts. In order to make good ethical decisions, it is imperative to gather all the data needed to determine whether the subject at hand truly involves ethics. This can be done researching ethical principles to see which ones, if any, the subject relates to.

2. Consult guidelines already available that might apply as a possible mechanism for resolution. This may involve doing some research to determine the best possible solution, as well as to collect the most relevant information from all parties involved.

3. Pause to consider, as best as possible, all factors that might influence the decision you will make. This step is especially important because when making ethical decisions, it is best to view the situation without bias or prejudice and all culturally relevant variables should be considered.

4. Consult with a trusted colleague. Seeking input from colleagues who have a strong commitment to the profession Ethical decision-making involves a complicated process influenced by our own perceptions and values, because of this, we can usually benefit by seeking input from others.

5. Evaluate the rights, responsibilities, and vulnerability of all the affected parties. This involves taking all the required steps to ensure no ethical rights are violated, such as informed consent and confidentiality.

6. Generate alternative decisions. This should be done by considering all available options and weighing the costs of each to determine the best route to take.

7. Enumerate the consequences of making each decision. During this stage of the decision making process, potential consequences of possible decisions should be discussed, weighing the costs and effects, both long term as well as short term.

8. Make the decision. Once all steps have been executed, it is now time to decide the next course of action and making sure that this decision is backed by the best possible reasons.

An Alternative Decision-Making Model

Although it is fairly new in decision-making, the restorative justice model has been used by governments and communities since the 1990’s to find constructive solutions to interpersonal conflict, victimization, and anti-social behavior. This alternative model is held in meetings or conferences where victims and offenders involved in a crime meet in the presence of a trained facilitator with their families and friends or others affected by the crime, to discuss and resolve the offense and its consequences. This model has proven positive results in that satisfaction expressed by victims in the handling of their cases is consistently higher for victims assigned to the restorative justice model than for victims whose cases were assigned to normal criminal justice processing.

References

American Psychological Association, APA (2002). Ethical Principles of Psychologists

and Code of Conduct. American Psychologist, 57, 1060 – 1073.

 Koocher, G.P., & Keith-Spiegal, P. (2016). Ethics in Psychology and the mental health

professions: Standards and Cases. (4th Edition) New York, NY. Oxford

University Press.