Risky Business: Applying Ethical Standards to Social Media Use with Vulnerable Populations

Abstract

Social media is changing how those in the helping professions offer clinical, medical, or educational services, provide referrals, administer therapeutic interventions, and conduct research. Non-profits and government organizations working with vulnerable populations need to consider the possibility of ethical missteps when using social media. A comparison of Facebook strategies used with the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) program to engage and locate current and former youth in the foster care system was conducted. Facebook practices and strategies were examined based on the current National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Standards for Technology and Social Work Practice. The ethical standards examined included obtaining consent, preserving confidentiality, verifying youth identity online, and avoiding disclosure of foster care affiliation. Findings provide valuable insight for further discussions around ethical standards in light of the rapidly changing uses of technology in social work. In addition, we illustrate guidelines and best practices used when adopting social media tools for interacting with vulnerable populations.

Exploring Customer Journeys in the Context of Dentistry: A Case Study

“…Relevant stakeholders must consider the adverse effects that such marketing and advertising could have on vulnerable patient groups: special needs, disabilities, facial deformities, mental health problems, of low socioeconomic status, children, adolescents, and young women, amongst others [ 69 ]. Therefore, it is vital that all dental practices, and dental and allied professionals strike a sensible and practicable balance between using traditional and up-to-date marketing vehicles that are sensitive, and consider patients’ best interests.…”

“One’s Social Skills Go to the Dogs”

“…Social media has also acquired a prominent role in social welfare practices (Dolinsky & Helbig, 2015), an effect heightened owing to the recent pandemic (e.g., Misha et al, 2021). Social media can offer a social worker, for example, a way to reach existing and prospective clients (Bullock & Colvin, 2015) or a method to assess service needs, conduct interventions, and evaluate service quality (Chan, 2016).…”