Exploratory Study of Common and Challenging Ethical Dilemmas Experienced by Professional School Counselors

Abstract

Results of a survey asking public school counselors in Virginia to indicate their most common and most challenging ethical dilemmas are presented. Ninety-two school counselors reported that the most common and challenging ethical dilemmas included those involving student confidentiality, dual relationship with faculty, parental rights, and acting on information of student danger to themselves or others. Results are reported for differences in academic level. Implications for professional school counselors and counselor educators are discussed.

The Experience of Ethical Dilemmas, Burnout, and Stress Among Practicing Counselors

“…Ethical issues are inherent in the counseling profession (i.e., ACA, 2014), and counselors encounter ethical issues on a regular basis over the course of their careers (Remley & Herlihy, 2013). The occurrence and difficulty of ethical issues vary (Bodenhorn, 2006), requiring counselors to resolve complex and multifaceted problems (Lambie et al, 2010;Levitt et al, 2015). Furthermore, stress is the product of individuals' appraisal of the demands of a difficult situation and their ability to cope with or resolve the difficulty (Lazarus, 2006;Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), whereas burnout results from the chronic exposure to a taxing and emotionally demanding work environment (Cordes & Dougherty, 1993;Maslach, 2003;Schaufeli & Enzmann, 1998;Schaufeli et al, 2009).…”

“…dilemmas can differ in type and severity of issues (Bodenhorn, 2006;Herlihy & Dufrene, 2011), ranging from the use of social media with clients (Jordan et al, 2014;Mullen, Griffith, Greene, & Lambie, 2014) to reporting suspected abuse (Henderson, 2013;Lambie, 2005). Therefore, the navigation of ethical issues necessitates that counselors are observant to the content of their situations, have a sound knowledge of the literature on ethics in counseling, and hold the ability to make sound ethical decisions (Lambie, Hagedorn, & Ieva, 2010).…”

“…As counselors encounter ethical dilemmas, they come across situations that vary in severity (e.g., easy or difficult to determine appropriate direction; Bodenhorn, 2006;Herlihy & Dufrene, 2011). Moreover, ethical situations may vary in emotional difficulty (e.g., no emotional reaction, significant emotional reaction), which can lead to negative vicarious experiences (Figley, 2002;Stamm, 2010;Stebnicki, 2008).…”

Ethical Judgments of Counselors: Results From a Turkish Sample

“…Some ethical situations for counselors in real life are clear, whereas some are vague and even produce dilemmas (Bodenhorn, 2006;Conley, 2013;Pope & Vetter, 1992;Tarvydas & BarrosBailey, 2010). It is unrealistic to expect the codes to address every situation that counselors may face in their work, and ethical behavior regarding these situations depends on individual judgement.…”

“…Breach of confidentiality is another ethical issue that counselors who work with minors frequently face (Bodenhorn, 2006;Glosoff & Pate, 2002;Koocher, 2003). Authors such as Koocher (2008) have pointed out that a decisional competence in determining limits of confidentiality regarding some vague issues is essential.…”