Project Paper
Our team is carrying out a project among adolescent children facing troubles and living in the urban city. So far, we have encountered several ethical dilemmas that have interfered with the smooth running of the project. The ethical issues are as a result of conflicts obligations and values between what we as a team believe is right or wrong on one hand and what the professional code of ethics governing our practice dictates on the other hand (Reamer, n.d.).
First and foremost, clients’ confidentiality and their informed consent is one major ethical issue that is proving to be a challenge to our team. The professional guidelines stipulating the way social work projects should be carried out outlines the clients’ well being as paramount when compared to any other value (Shaw, 2003). Even though the members of our team inform the adolescent clients of the limits to confidentiality before hand, they still struggle with feelings of guilt and betrayal when they have to break such confidentiality and inform other concerned parties of the status of the client (Shaw, 2003). This challenge has been heightened by the fact that most of the adolescents taking part in the project are not qualified to grant informed consent. As a result, our team has an obligation to reveal any confidential information to the adolescent’s parents, caregiver or authority in charge especially if they are in danger.
The issue of dual relationships also presents a notable ethical dilemma to our team. In such an instance, multiple sets of relationships arise where on one hand there exists the professional while the other(s) may be financial, professional or social in nature. In the case of our team, dual relationships are as a result of friendship ties being formed between team members and the adolescents because they can relate to us because we are young adults. These kinds of relationships interfere with the project because boundaries are created as a result of conflict arising between the groups’ professional duties vis-à-vis their social or religious relationships with the project participants (Reamer, n.d.). Confidentiality issues have also arisen as some of the clients have developed fear that some of their information that was obtained informally by the group members may be revealed professionally.
Conflicts between the law and the prescribed ethical guidelines have also presented a serious ethical dilemma for our team (Shaw, 2003). Whereas all members of the team concur that abidance to the law for social cohesion is important, we also noted that such adherence could be harmful to our clients at times. Conflicts have arisen when the team’s decisions are in accordance with the law but contrary to its professional ethics code or when its decisions are in tune with the existing ethical code but contrary to the law (Reamer, n.d.). This kind of dilemma continues to be one of the greatest challenges because the adolescents we are studying have drug related issues as well as other complications. The legal procedures to be observed contradict with the ones governing our practice and at the end of the day, as a team, our participants’ well being takes precedence.
The team has managed to successfully collect all the necessary data in preparation for the next stage of data analysis. Even though we have encountered numerous problems and we will continue to encounter many more, it has been through the hard work of each and every member of this group that we were able to get to this stage today. As we embark on data analysis, discussion and the writing up of the final project document, we believe that the team spirit that has brought us this far should lead us into a successful completion. More so, the mutual respect by all members that has created a superb environment for us to exchange ideas and constructively criticize the same is a force to reckon with and will be upheld till the task is complete. The bonds and friendships created among us is testimony to what great achievement our group has accomplished and will accomplish in the future.
References
Reamer, G. F. (n.d). Ethical and Legal Standards in Social Work: Consistency and Conflict. TheJournal of Contemporary Social Services, 86(2). Retrieved fromhttp://www.ce4alliance.com/articles/100788/86-2Reamer.pdf
Shaw, F. I. (2003). Ethics in Qualitative Research and Evaluation. Journal of Social Work, 3(9).Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.com/drewstudy/pdf/Shaw.pdf
