Dixon Ethical Dilemma Assignment Template
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Ethical Dilemma Case Study Assignment
Kelsey Dixon
School Counselor
1) Defined the problem emotionally and intellectually
* Provided a concise one-sentence statement depicting
the two opposing actions
a
counselor would typically choose based on ethical considerations (i.e. “A counselor is
faced with the dilemma of choosing whether to ______ or _______.”)
* Included a brief intellectual reason (1 to 2 sentences) for both of the two actions) for
why the counselor is expected to do each of the two opposing actions. (No citation of
code or law is required in this bullet point, nor in Step 1 in its entirety.)
* Identified at least three emotions that a typical counselor may face and describe how
those emotions may influence judgment (positively or negatively) toward either
decision.
(Suggested length: 1 to 3 paragraphs)
RESPONSE:
Based on the information provided, Rachael is a young child who is
experiencing neglect and abuse. A counselor at Rachael’s school is faced with the
dilemma of putting Rachael into a broken system by reporting the abuse or allowing
Rachael to endure more harm as a child from the people who should be protecting her.
If Rachael stays in her current environment with her father and his girlfriend, statistically
speaking, her experiences will get worse, not better. However, reporting the abuse will
send Rachael into the foster care system, which does not always provide the best
experiences for children. The counselor involved could feel protective, guilty, and sad
and all those emotions could negatively impact the best decision for Mina.
2) Identified and explained ethical codes and law and how they applied to this case.
* Identified the most relevant excerpt
from the student’s ethical code (ACA – clinical
counseling) counseling or ethical standard (ASCA – school counseling) that support
both of the actions. (Provided at least one excerpt to support each action.)
* Explained how the excerpts chosen relate to the two possible actions of the
counselor
* When applicable, identified the most relevant law
that supports at least one action
and described the relationship to the case. This law related directly to a possible
action of the counselor. (Credit is not granted for laws provided without relevance to
the case study.)
* A relevant law was chosen to explore the legality concerning student/client or parent
actions described in the scenario, when applicable.
(Suggested length: 1 to 3 paragraphs)
RESPONSE:
In Ohio, school counselors are mandated reporters according to Rule
4757-5-02 of the Ohio Administrative Code and Section 2151.421 of the Ohio Revised
Code (Ohio, 2021) (Ohio, 2022). This means the counselor involved in Rachael’s school
is responsible by law to report the alleged abuse that is happening in Rachael’s home.
The fact that Rachael has openly said that abuse is happening holds the school and the
school counselor liable for reporting Rachael’s home to the authorities.
The ASCA ethical codes that are in question regarding this scenario also involve
reporting child abuse. Ethical code A.12.a of the ASCA states that school counselors
should “report to the proper authorities, as mandated by the state, all suspected cases
of child abuse and neglect, recognizing that certainty is not required, only reasonable
suspicion,” (ASCA, 2022).
This clearly applies because not only has Rachael come out
and said that her father has physically abused her, but Rachael has also consistently
shown signs of neglect and when it is brought to the father’s attention, he just blames
the absent mother and Rachael for being mentally ill. Ethical code A.12.e. states that
school counselors must “connect students who have experienced abuse and neglect
with services provided through the local school district and community agencies,”
(ASCA, 2022). This applies because there needs to be some follow-up with Rachael for
the abuse she is suffering. While the fear of foster care can be valid, the counselor is
already breaking Ohio laws and ethical codes by not reporting the abuse.
3) Identified and explained the student’s chronological and developmental levels
* Identified the psychosocial stage that the subject would be in based on age
according to Erik Erikson (i.e. “industry vs. inferiority”)
* Explored whether the depiction in the scenario indicates typical or atypical
development based on evidence in the scenario. Link the evidence your provide with
discussion to support your conclusion.
* Stated whether age or developmental issues have any bearing on the choice of the
counselor and provide an explanation of your decision.
(Suggested length: 1 to 3 paragraphs)
RESPONSE:
According to Erik Erikson, Rachael is in the late childhood years, also
known as the “industry vs. inferiority” psychosocial stage. This scenario is an example
of atypical development, as most children do not go through this much physical and
emotional abuse or neglect. The counselor should absolutely get involved because of
Rachael’s age, she is at the age where she is learning new skills and developing a
sense of industry (Erikson, 1963). This is also the age when children become aware of
social situations and develop feelings of inadequacy, so it is incredibly important that
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Rachael’s home life is sorted out before she develops strong feelings of inferiority
(Erikson, 1963).
4) Identified the setting, parental rights, and minor’s rights
* Stated the relevant rights of the minor and the source of those rights as found in
ethical code (ACA), ethical standard (ASCA) and/or law
* Stated the relevant rights of the parent(s) and the source of those rights as found in
ethical code (ACA), ethical standard (ASCA) and/or law
(Note that there may be some duplication of Step 2.)
(Suggested length: 2 paragraphs)
RESPONSE:
Since Rachael is a minor and there is abuse involved, it must be reported.
According to the Ohio laws and the ASCA ethical codes mentioned above, the school
counselor involved is both ethically and legally required to report the abuse. This
scenario is very straightforward according to both the law and ethical codes.
5) Identified the moral principles that should take precedence in this case.
* Identified the two most relevant conflicting moral principles that support each of the
two possible choices. (1 principle for each of the 2 potential choices). [The moral
principles are: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, fidelity, and veracity.
Definitions can be found in the Preamble of the ACA Ethical Code and can be used by
all counseling students, even the ACA Ethical Code otherwise only refers to clinical
students.]
* Explained how these two principles individually support one of the two possible
choices (one principle must support one choice, and the other principle most support
the other choice)
* Demonstrated the conflict of two principles that support opposite actions, rather than
agreement.
* Provided a statement stating which principle selected should be considered more
heavily than the other by the counselor and why.
(Suggested length: 2 to 3 paragraphs)
RESPONSE:
Nonmaleficence is a moral principle that is defined as not causing harm to
others, “above all do no harm,” (Kitchener, 1984). This moral applies to Rachael’s
dilemma because the concept means choosing the path that causes the least amount of
harm and unfortunately, because of Rachael’s father, Rachael’s future involves more
harm before it gets better. By reporting Rachael’s abuse and neglect, she will most likely
be placed in foster care and that will be a huge change for Rachael, which also will
cause emotional turmoil. Rachael’s foundation will be rocked and uneven before it gets
better, however, reporting the abuse is in the best interest of Rachael because not
reporting it goes against this moral principle.
Beneficence applies to this case because it is the counselor’s responsibility to
“contribute to the welfare of the” student and to “be proactive and also to prevent harm
when possible,” (Forester-Miller & Rubenstein, 1992). Simply put, it is the counselor’s
responsibility to protect Rachael since her father is not doing so.
Both principles apply equally because they are about the safety of Rachael.
6) Determined (2) potential courses of action and consequences
* Described what the realistic and likely consequences would be for the student for
both of the actions described in Step 1, with both positive and negative consequences
as applicable.
* Described what the realistic and likely consequences would be for the counselor for
taking both actions described in Step 1, both positive and negative as applicable. This
included a discussion of whether liability is increased or decreased by choosing both
actions.
* Described how the counseling relationship (between counselor and client/student) is
affected for both of the actions, both positively and negatively.
(Suggested length: 3 paragraphs)
RESPONSE: If the counselor does not report the abuse to the respective authorities the
counselor could lose their license and Rachael would then continue to suffer from abuse from
her father and her father’s girlfriend. Rachael would also go undiagnosed with a possible
serious mental illness (her father claims she is bipolar) and would have no support and love in
her life. She would suffer many negative consequences from being abused. Abusers simply do
not just stop abusing, they continue and get worse. This is not the correct course of action.
If the counselor reported the abuse like they are ethically, morally, and legally required to do so
then Rachael would most likely be removed from her current home. She would either be placed
in another family member’s home, like an aunt/uncle, or grandparent, or she would be placed in
the foster system. It’s possible this would cause more emotional distress to Rachael, however
with more state-mandated therapy, the distress may just be short-term as opposed to the long-
term abuse that would happen if not reported.
Both scenarios would affect Rachael and the counselor’s relationship in different ways. In the
first scenario, Rachael and the counselor would have an unethical relationship. The counselor
would be overstepping their work boundaries, thinking that they were protecting Rachael by not
reporting the abuse. In the other scenario, Rachael may lose trust in the counselor and have
resentment towards her however given Rachael’s age she is too young to understand that what
is being done to her is wrong and she does not deserve it. The counselor is doing the best thing
for Rachael by reporting the abuse and hopefully, when Rachael is older she will realize that her
school counselor saved her life.
7) Evaluated the selected action
* Selected the choice that is best supported by ethical code, law, and consideration of
moral principles. (The best choice should be the one that provides the best protection
from liability for this assignment.)
* Provided rationale to support why this choice was better than the other in terms of
making an ethical decision.
(Note that you may duplicate information from earlier steps (particularly 2, 5, and 6) to
support your choice.)
(Suggested length: 1 to 2 paragraphs)
RESPONSE:
The best choice that is supported by the ASCA ethical code, Ohio law, and
moral principles is for the counselor to report Rachael’s abuse to the respective
authorities. This is the right choice because the ASCA ethical code clearly states that
child abuse must be reported, Ohio law clearly states that child abuse must be reported,
and the moral principles state that the students and/or clients must be protected from
any harm brought upon them.
8) Identified a consultation plan
* Specifically identified what qualifies somebody to help a counselor to make an
ethical decision. (This is the primary source of ethical consultation.)
* Described three other sources for ethical consultation if the above cannot reach
consensus. (These are secondary sources of ethical consultation.) NOTE: School
counselors are only required to provide one source for this bullet point.
* Limited discussion to making a legal/ethical decision, rather than student/client care
or other issue outside the scope of making the actual ethical decision.
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(Suggested length: 1 to 2 paragraphs)
(Suggested length: 1 to 2 paragraphs)
RESPONSE:
The counselor should consult their administration and inform them before
reporting Rachael’s father. Since there have already been discussions with Rachael’s
father regarding Rachael’s behavior and concern for Rachael, there really does not
need to be any other meetings with the father. However, the principal of the school
should be involved in this matter, as they are the counselor’s direct supervisor and boss,
and a mandated reporter as well.
9) Identified an intended course of action to be implemented and specifically how it
will be implemented
* Described how to thoughtfully implement the choice from step 7. Discussion
included how the choice will be implemented in terms of interactions with
client/student, parent, and/or other professionals/agencies.
* Discussion included how to minimize the negative effects for the student/client on
the counseling relationship when possible, or a discussion about why this cannot
occur in this scenario.
* The discussion provided enough evidence that the counselor has met their legal and
ethical obligations to the extent possible, thus avoiding liability to the extent possible.
(Suggested length: 2 to 3 paragraphs)
RESPONSE:
After a full meeting with the school’s administration, and Rachael’s teacher,
a full report will be completed. A phone call will be made to child protective services by
the counselor with the support of the staff. The counselor will follow the procedure and
plan provided by the police and child protective services, as confidentiality laws do not
apply in cases of child abuse.
The counselor will be available to speak with Rachael and will express to CPS that they
feel it is in Rachael’s best interest that they (the counselor) be there to explain to
Rachael what is going on, and why it is going on. The counselor will use different
trauma-based therapy techniques to try to communicate with Rachael that she has done
nothing wrong, that she is safe, that she is loved, that everyone wants to protect her,
and that someone should never hit her.
Written in APA-style with citations, a list of references, proper grammar and proper
spelling
* Assignment was written as stated directly above.
* Reference list provided below:
RESPONSE:
References
ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors
. (2022). American School Counselor Association
(ASCA). https://www.schoolcounselor.org/
Erikson’s Stages of Life
. (1963). LSU School of Medicine.
https://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/medical_education/undergraduate/spm/SPM_100/doc
uments/EriksonsStagesofLife.pdf
Forester-Miller, H., & Davis, T. E. (2016). Practitioner’s guide to ethical decision making (Rev.
ed.). Retrieved from http://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/ethics/practioner’s-
guide-toethical-decision-making.pdf
Kitchener, K. S. (1984). Intuition, critical evaluation and ethical principles: The foundation for
ethical decisions in counseling psychology. Counseling Psychologist, 12(3), 43-55.
Rule 4757-5-02 - Ohio Administrative Code | Ohio Laws
. (2021, April 19). Retrieved June 25,
2023, from https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-4757-5-02.
Section 2151.421 - Ohio Revised Code | Ohio Laws
. (2022, May 30). Retrieved June 9, 2023,
from https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2151.421.