The American Psychological Association Ethics Code and legal statutes regarding sexual boundary violations: History and current status.

Abstract

The treatment of therapists' sexual behavior in the American Psychological Association's (APA's; 2017) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (hereinafter, APA Ethics Code) and various state statutes reflects the values and priorities of the profession at the time and represents some of the association's most labored and conflicted decisions. Ambiguity often characterizes the development of APA Ethics Code revisions, particularly on sexual behavior. All psychologists do not share the definition of ethical behavior, the purpose of an ethics code, or acceptance of public accountability. Components of ethics include (a) virtue ethics referencing character, morality, integrity, respect for others, and values; (b) principle ethics in the form of a code of conduct that guides professional behavior; and (c) an educational tool to facilitate decision making. Psychologists may adopt one or more or none of these aspects of ethics, resulting in the ambiguity with which the inclusion of sexual misconduct has evolved in the APA Ethics Code and in legal statutes.This chapter presents the development of the topic of sexual misconduct in the APA Ethics Code from its inception to the present. The current status

The use and misuse of informed consent in reporting sexual intimacy violations.

“…I believe they are valid and useful to protect a patient’s privilege and confidentiality. There is research to support the important role that confidentiality plays in helping patients trust a psychotherapist (Campbell et al, 2021; Levine & Courtois, 2021). However, in cases where a patient has been sexually violated by another therapist, I believe that it is neither possible nor feasible to put a statement in the treating psychologist’s informed consent document that will justify violating the patient’s right to refuse to report a sexual assault committed against them.…”

Erotic Feelings Towards Patients in the Psychotherapy Session: Investigating Their Relationship With the Characteristics of the Therapist, the Patient, and the Treatment

“…Regrettably, despite the significant advances made in the last hundred years in the field of psychotherapy, both in terms of training to become a therapist (Klein et al, 2011) and ethical standards (Campbell et al, 2021), even today therapists' enactment of their own erotic fantasies and urges with patients is still a frequent issue (Clemens et al, 2021). Although the prevalence of sexual boundary violations is very difficult to measure accurately, pooled data indicate that more than 4% of professionals in the psychological sector surveyed admitted to having committed such a violation (Hook and Devereux, 2018).…”