One of the reasons there can be so much debate about ethical issues is because ethics are opinions informed by people’s values and people have different values. People can disagree about whether or not something is unethical, and, oftentimes, there is no right answer. In order to make decisions about what may be ethical or unethical, Yegidis (2018, p. 25) suggests focusing on these three questions:
- “Who should benefit or suffer from the actions of the researcher?”
- “Whose rights should take priority over those of others?”
- “Does the end (increased knowledge) justify the means (the methods used to acquire it and their potential for harm)?”
For this Discussion, view the Sessions episode on the Parker family. As you do so, consider which, if any, ethical mandates or standards were violated.
Post a response explaining your reaction to the Parker episode. Be sure to address whether or not the social worker violated any ethical mandates or standards. Also explain which strategies could have been used to guide ethical practice. Finally, describe the responsibility of the social workers in the Parker case. Please use the resources to support your answers.