Ethical dilemmas

Ethical dilemmas are those situations in which most, if not all, proposed actions appear to violate one or more ethical guidelines. For example, a forensic psychology researcher proposes some degree of participant deception about the objectives of a study in order to decrease the likelihood that knowing the exact objective of the study will affect the participants’ behavior during the study. This is a dilemma because use of deception during research is not allowed by the code of ethics, but if some amount of deception is not used, the results of the study will have questionable value.

In another example, a forensic psychology clinical professional who is hired by a defense attorney to evaluate the defendant discovers information about the defendant that will facilitate the prosecutor’s case. This is a dilemma because the code of ethics requires forensic psychology professionals to be truthful and act with integrity, but doing so may actually hamper the defense attorney’s case.

Forensic psychology is often focused on challenging issues and tasks, and encountering an ethical dilemma can more typically be the rule rather than the exception. Forensic psychology professionals need to have an acceptable way of resolving ethical dilemmas. An ethical decision-making model offers a way to better articulate the critical issues during an ethical dilemma, identify different courses of action to resolve the dilemma, and weigh the benefits and risks of these actions in order to arrive at a possible solution. Although application of an ethical decision-making model does not guarantee immunity against being disciplined for an ethical violation, its use can help mitigate negative consequences when potential ethical violations are being investigated.

Post by Day 3 a response to the following:

·  Identify the boundary violation you have chosen from the list on page 364 in the article “When Boundaries Are Broken: Inmate Perceptions of Correctional Staff Boundary Violations.”

·  Describe the relevant ethical guideline(s) that pertain to the boundary violation.

·  Explain how you would apply each of the following eight steps of the ethical decision-making model from Chapter 1 in Ethical Practice in Forensic Psychology: A Systematic Model for Decision Making to your selected boundary violation:

1.  Identify the Problem

2.  Consider the Significance of the Context and Setting

3.  Identify and Use Ethical and Legal Resources

4.  Consider Personal Beliefs and Values

5.  Develop Possible Solutions to the Problem

6.  Consider the Potential Consequences of Various Solutions

7.  Choose and Implement a Course of Action

8.  Assess the Outcome and Implement Changes as Needed