Code of Ethics and the Modern Social Theory - Assignment Example

Ethical Dilemma Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Date Ethical Dilemma Executive Summary The Social work field is usually guided by the Australian Code of Ethics which includes the values and activities which define professional behavior. In this area, it is usual to encounter value or ethical dilemmas especially because it entails often dealing with people. The report has evaluated two ethical dilemmas that were encountered during my placement in St. Teresa’s School. One of the dilemmas was about a girl who had the problem of wetting her pants, and the other is about an Autistic boy who was an introvert. The report has evaluated the two ethical dilemmas using the Code of Ethics and the Modern Social Theory. One of the significant findings and lessons from the experience as the report has documented is always to put the interests and well-being of clients first. Introduction It is usual to encounter ethical or value dilemmas in the Social work field. It is, therefore, essential for social workers to be knowledgeable of the various theories, and frameworks which would help in making the best decisions following the dilemmas. During my placement at St. Teresa’s School, I encountered two ethical dilemmas, one about a girl with a problem of wetting herself and the other about an Autistic introvert boy. The paper will discuss and analyze these two dilemmas using the Modern Social Theory and the Social Work Code of Ethics. Ethical Dilemma One One day during my placement in the school, I led four of the Reception level children to play in the sand. One of the girls asked me for permission to go to the bathroom, and I allowed her to do so. However, she took so long in the bathroom as she did not come back at the time that I expected her to have returned. I asked some Year 3 girls to accompany me to the bathroom so we could look for her. These Year 3 girls informed me that the girl had wet her underwear. I then asked the Year 3 girls to tell the girl’s teacher of the situation but the Year 3 girls told me that the girl who had wet her underwear refused; she did not want her teacher to know about the situation. However, she only agreed for the office teacher to know about the situation. Following this, I informed my supervisor about the matter, and she told me that she would handle the issue, so I needed not to worry about it. At this point, I felt confused and at crossroads about whether to tell the girl’s teacher or whether to keep it a secret for the sake of this girl. Analysis of the Dilemma One of the core functions of the teachers and the social workers is to assist the children in building strong relationships with each other as well as their caregivers which is founded on trust. According to the attachment theory, when a caregiver forms a strong attachment with a child, the child tends to develop a strong sense of foundation and security; which is one of the main things that the school intends to achieve. Following this, if I tell the girl’s secret to the teacher, and the girl becomes aware of that because of the actions that the teacher may take on her, she will lose trust in me, and maybe even in the other caregivers and it may affect the way she builds her relationships. On the other hand, according to the Modern Social Theory, one of the objectives of social workers is problem-solving which is under the cognitive-behavioral theory group (Malcom, 2014, p. 62). This theory emphasizes that it is important to manage the behavior of the students through first understanding the source of the issue and then to manage it in an efficient manner. Additionally, the Code of Ethics stipulates that the social workers need to use the expertise of the other team members as well as people from the other disciplines for the overall benefit of their clients (Australian Association of Social Workers, 2010, p. 21). It is evident that the girl has a problem, there is a reason as to why she wets her pants, and it is the responsibility of the teachers to help them manage this issue. Therefore, not informing the teacher means that I am not focused on the common good of the girl which is to assist her to stop wetting her pants, especially because the condition is psychological in nature. In light of this dilemma, I am not in a position to make a decision on the issue alone mostly because my supervisor told me that she would handle the issue. However, if I were in a position to decide, I would choose to tell the teacher for the long-term benefit of the girl. I have learned that the Social work practice puts the clients at the center; they are of utmost importance and enhancing their well-being is paramount which is why I would decide to tell the teacher so that together we could figure out a way of assisting her. This will, of course, entail informing the girl why I chose to tell her teacher which is for her benefit. Ethical Dilemma Two: In the Year 1 classroom, there is an autistic boy who has been very introverted. He rarely has any forms of communication with the other students as well as the teachers. He also sits alone on one side of the classroom. Personally, I have tried talking to him several times, but I also suffered his neglect and refusal. However, I was patient and kept on setting up meetings with him. After some time, he gradually began to trust me, and he would also talk to me. One time, during a public event at the school, the boy sat on my lap and became reluctant to leave. At this point, I felt rather embarrassed because we are not allowed to have such physical contacts with the children. The area where we were sitting also had many teachers and parents. Finally, I decided to ask another teacher to assist me to transfer this boy to sit with the other students. I was afraid that this action would jeopardize the relationship between the boy and me and make him indifferent towards me again. On the other hand, it is prohibited to have such physical contacts with the students. Analysis of Dilemma According to the child development theory, children tend to change socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Therefore, the caregivers play a significant role in their development especially emotionally and psychologically. Given that this boy is an introvert, it means that he needs a lot of assistance in growing especially socially and emotionally, and me and my colleagues being his caregivers aside from his family, we have a significant role to play in helping him. However, the conflicting issues, in this case, are that if I decided to allow him to continue sitting on my lap, it would be going against the professional boundaries. This is more so because there were a lot of people around us many of whom were parents and other teachers who did not quite understand the boy. On the other hand, the action of seeking help from another teacher to force him to sit with the other students where he did not feel comfortable would significantly hurt him and would affect his interactions and the trust that he has of other people. According to the Modern Social Theory, particularly the psychodynamic theory group, it is of utmost importance to take into consideration the inner feelings of individuals and in the case that there are any conflicts between these issues; it is upon the social worker to find the best ways to solve them (Malcom, 2014, p. 62). This shows that I needed to put the boy and his feelings and conditions first. This is particularly true because of his long term condition and the issues that he has regarding his social development. Additionally, according to the Code of Ethics, it is true that there are professional boundaries are stipulated (Australian Association of Social Workers, 2010, p. 22). However, the social workers are required always to be sensitive to the ways in which a client and other people interpret their physical contact with the specific references to the gender and cultural differences. It is evident that the boy wanted to stay with me because he had developed trust in me which means that his interpretation of our physical contact was straight. However, the problem comes in with the way others would interpret our physical contact which is what made me feel rather uncomfortable. Following this, I think the best action would be to put the interests of the boy first, which means that I needed to have just let him continue sitting on my lap. This follows the fact that this boy has been having a long-term social development problem and he felt very vulnerable. This means a small action like that could injure his development again which would take quite some time to repair. From this experience, the most valuable lesson that I derive from it is always to put the client and his needs first as long as my intentions are genuine. This is especially so when dealing with very sensitive and vulnerable clients like this boy. Conclusion As described in the report, it is usual to encounter ethical and value dilemmas in the workplace. When this happens, the Australian Code of ethics comes in handy to assist in the best ways of handling such situations. During my placement at St. Teresa’s School, I encountered two ethical dilemmas about a boy and a girl. In both of the situations, I tried to evaluate the best way to handle them using the Modern Social Theory and the Code of Ethics. I learned that at all times, the well-being and the interests of the clients need to be put first. References Australian Association of Social Workers 2010, Code of Ethics, AASW, Brisbane. Malcom, P 2014, Modern Social Theory, 4th Edition, Palgrave Macmillan, China. Read More