The NASW Code of Ethics is a guide for professional social workers to refer back to in

case of not knowing the ethical thing to do in a scenario. It can be easy to be swept away with
personal morals when working with clients, however, your morals may not match the ethics in
which you are mandated to adhere. Professionals in the helping field can be presented with
cases where the right thing to do is quite questionable. In those times it is critical for the social
worker to put aside personal motivates and pick up the NASW Code of Ethics. Another
important step for social workers is to communicate openly with supervisors and other
colleagues, especially when they are unsure of the best plan of action. In the case we are
examining now the student, Kate has confided in her school social worker about the alleged
abusive environment in which she lives.
The dilemma in this scenario is determining the appropriate steps to effectively assist
the student, Kate. Kate confided in her school social worker about the turbulent relationship
between her and her stepfather. She claims he has been sneaking into her room late at night
and touching her inappropriately. Kate quickly assures the social worker that her mother had
already handled the situation by kicking him out of the house. Another conflict Kate is
discussing with the social worker is the ongoing nightmares she has been having ever since
her stepfather left, and the effects it has had on her overall ability to sleep. Kate's stepfather
may be out of the home but he surely is not out of Kate's conscious, which suggests to me
that she is in need of immediate treatment.
This scenario is an uncomfortable situation that unfortunately many mandated
reporters come across at one time or another. Although Kate claims her mother has already
dealt with the situation and the abuse is no longer occurring, a social worker is not in a
professional position to ignore these allegations. The NASW Code of Ethics includes a

number of codes that can be related to this case. The social worker is responsible for being
knowledgeable about each code in order to protect their client's rights and interest as well as
their own. If a social worker does not follow the codes because they choose to either ignore
the codes or ignore the strong suggestion that every social worker know them like the back of
their hand, the result can be a violation. There are numerous sanctions ranging from a
warning to the permanent removal of their social work license, that follow a violation
depending on the offense among other contributing factors. One of many codes that can be
referred to in this case to help guide the social worker to the proper steps is the very first
code, 1.01 Commitment to Clients (NASW, 2014). This code mentions the responsibility the
social worker has to protect the wellbeing of their clients. The code ends with adding the fact
that it is the law to promptly report any known abusive offense. The 1.06 Conflicts of Interest
code states that protecting a client may need to end with the termination of services between
the two of you (NASW, 2014). In this case, Kate is threatening the social worker by promising
she will never speak to her again if she reports her stepfather. This is not an easy task for the
social worker, however, by not reporting the abuse the professional is facing not only
professional punishments, but legal repercussions as well. Mandated reporting a law that is
slightly different depending on the location, but the entire nation has incorporated this as one
of their laws. Assuming the incident occurs in Michigan, the law on mandated reporters in this
state shows a detailed list on professions that are required to report (suspected) abuse. Not
only does Michigan require those professions to report abuse, the law includes any person,
even another child, or institution that has reasonable cause for suspected child abuse or
neglect. Kate is in high school, so it is within the realm of possibilities that she is still a minor,
which means she is unable to consent to certain things and the abuse is considered child
abuse, rather than domestic violence. Some states include domestic violence and animal
abuse in their mandated reporting law, but Michigan is not one of them at this moment (Child

Welfare Information Getaway, 2014). According to Rape Abuse and Incest National Network
(RAINN), the state of Michigan includes statues involving known abuse to fetuses, such as
alcohol and substance use while knowingly pregnant as well (RAINN, 2013). Also, Michigan
incorporated the elderly and disabled individuals in the mandated reporting statue for
Michigan. The social worker should proceed cautiously by calming the student down if
possible. I would inform Kate that I heard and understood that her mother had solved this
issue for her, but I have to look out for the greater good for the public as well. As a social
worker I would discuss how happy I was that she was no longer experiencing this sexual
abuse, but her ex-stepfather is still free and capable of touching another little girl
inappropriately, and we do not want that to happen. I am hoping that Kate will see the big
picture and all of the reasons her abuser needs to be reported and punished. It is much easier
if the one being allegedly abused cooperates with reporting the offense, however, Kate's
cooperation is not necessary and the report should be filed with or without it. The social
worker should notify the proper authorities about the possible child abuse. When the social
worker works at an institution such as a school the first step is to contact the person in charge
of that institution. The top person should ideally be the one to report the offense, but that does
not mean you are legally off the hook once notifying someone else. Unfortunately just
because you tell your boss about the suspected abuse does not mean he/she will continue to
take the proper steps to report it. It is is still legally your responsibility to ensure that the final
report is made in some way or another. The report should be made to the Child Protective
Services with all the details regarding the alleged abuse and the individuals involved as
possible. The social worker should personally witness the principal or superintendent making
the report either written or orally. If not, the social worker should report the abuse within
seventy-two hours of learning about it.

The moral development theory I choose to discuss is the preconventional reasoning

theory as the driving force behind personal moral decision-making. Under the first stage of the
preconventional reasoning theory it can be argued that absolutism is present. Absolutism
states that certain rules apply across the board. The social worker may morally feel she is
responsible for upholding confidentiality between her and the client. In regards to the situation
presented involving the school social worker and Kate, the social worker taking appropriate
steps to ensure the client's safety may negatively affect the client's willingness to share any
other information or continue to seek assistance with the social worker. The social worker
may morally feel that since the abuse has stopped is it more important to not report the
stepfather if that means she can still work with the client on her nightmares. The social worker
believes that she has a moral obligation to not only keep this client's secrets confidential, but
to focus on the situation at hand, her trouble sleeping. It can be mistaken that confidentiality is
a universal rule that the social worker must obey. Therefore, the social worker does not report
the alleged abuse and she continues to work with the client on her issues regarding the reoccurring nightmares. Although this argument may seem sound in the social worker's mind,
there is always a flip side. The moral argument is that as a person and professional social
worker I want the client, Kate to trust me and approve of me. I want Kate to be satisfied with
our work together, and I do not want to jeopardize further treatment by going against her
wishes of reporting her stepfather.
On the other hand, the counter argument can be made with guidance from the second
stage in the preconventional reasoning theory. Relativism is a theory in which there are no
universal moral absolutes, and it takes the opposite approach than absolutism. The social
worker would then look past her or her client's wishes and think of Kate's stepfather as a
possible sexual predator who is still free to abuse other children. The social worker may feel

she has only a moral duty to her client when in reality she has an ethical responsibility to
society as a whole when it comes to harming yourself or others. Confidentiality may be an
issue that is mentioned in this scenario, and in terms of absolutism, confidentiality is a rule
that must be obeyed at all times. Although relativism will argue that there are exceptions to
the rule, such as mandated reporting of child abuse for the greater good of society. The social
worker may morally feel obligated to protect future children from being abused by Kate's exstepfather. Whether her mother has attempted to stop the abuse in her own home with her
own child is not the only concern the professional has to take in account. Therefore, the social
worker morally feels responsible for the wellbeing of other children in the community so she
reports the alleged abuse.
Based on the two arguments, I would follow the second stage in the preconventional
reasoning theory. This stage takes relativism in consideration when it comes to moral
decision-making. The main reason I would choose to follow this approach rather than
absolutism is because I do morally believe that the context and possible consequences
should be taken in account. In most cases there are exceptions to the rules, which in my
opinion, should be considered. Even in the mandated reporting law there are exceptions to
the rule. Each state incorporates slightly different details when it comes to who is mandated to
report, how to report, and the circumstances surrounding a report.

REFERENCES:
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2014). Mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Childrens Bureau.
NASW (2014). National Association for Social Workers. Code of Ethics.
RAINN, (2013). Mandated Reporting: Children. Michigan. Retrieved from
https://rainn.org/public-policy/legal-resources/michigan/mandatory-reporting-children