Social Work Ethical Dilemmas

Furthermore, tackling the barrier of ethical dilemmas, exists moral philosophy, through theories of deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics (Robinson & Reeser, 2000). Reference to the placement example will be used in conjunction with the associated theory here. In particular, the ethical dilemma explored, relates to one of Biestek (1961) seven traditional social work ethics; confidentially, and the consideration of sharing a disclosure made of physical abuse. The Standards of Proficiency require capability in maintaining confidentiality, protecting the rights of service-users to privacy, and the Professional Capabilities Framework, the domain of intervention and skills, continues to highlight the theme, by demanding knowledge and skill
in sharing information appropriately and respectfully (Treater, 2014). Notably, confidentiality works parallel with personal and professional values, and through legal and ethical considerations, conflicting dilemma is born when making decisions whether to break confidentiality or not (Dickens, 2013).