Kenia Bush 

Ethics 2750 - 401 

March 24, 2019 
Essay # 1 
 

 
 
Perception of an ethical problem 
 
The perception of an ethical problem is that in case of rape and if is a child 

involved and when you realize that the rapist/perpetrator is a member of the 

victim’s family. As a Social worker need to keep client information Confidentiality, 

the information shared they can not be share outside, in other word to encourage 

clients to share embarrassing. When is a ethical problem about child abused, this is 

a good reason to break client confidentiality. 

1. Describe the situation. Defining the ethical issue  

If a client is victim of rape, If is a minor, child or vulnerable adult or if is 

adult depend of the case, the social worker need to commitment to his or her client, 
the loyalty, the legal requirement to report suspected child abused, the social 

worker have the responsibility to keep client confidences silent. Social worker need 

to protect children from harm or something that is difficult like rape. First as a 

Social Worker need to incorporated discussion of the limits to clients confidentiality 

with client through informed consent. Sometime confidentiality cannot be complete, 

As a Social worker there are some exceptions to client like confidentiality rights.  

As a Social worker we need to discuss the informed consent, in this case the 

client need to sign a form that acknowledges or recognize getting information. 

The informed of consent need to be explain, because the client need to have 

the competence or capacity to consent to the action. Because when the individual 

lack in capacity they need some form of substitute decision maker. 

2.- Identifying alternatives  

1. Child treated for trauma in Hospital, emergency rooms 

2. Child protective services (CPS). Division of family services. Family 

members 

3. The police department. Assault cases known to law enforcement 

4. Shelters for abused kids or Foster Home and mental health clinic. 

3.- Projecting probable consequences 

 1. When treated for trauma or emergency rooms, there are some 

question that need to be anwer. 

2. Child protective services, taking the kid for custodia, for there safety. 

3. Sometime is really difficult to get information or access from police 

report, there are not available to the general public. But may be 

available for some agency or government agency.  

4. Foster Home, separating the kid from their parents, to investigate the 

sexual assault. The can originated more trauma for the child. The 

parent and child need to go to a Mental clinic for examination too. 

4.- Discussion of four areas you can either discuss each alternative 

and consequence collectively or individually against each of the areas 

below. 

1. Moral rule​s: Moral values are base my christian religion  

2. Anticipatory self appraisal​: Obviously that family member need 

help, and the child need help too like some therapy  

3. Rehearsal of defenses​: My point of view is that the whole family 

need to be treat. Because something is disfuncional in that family.  

4. Ethical principles:  

1.03 Informed Consent: 

1.07 Privacy and Confidentiality: 

 
 
5.- ​Selecting one alternatives ​:  

Could be a family member that live in other state can take care of the child. It 

depend of the situation. The child I think need to be remove to a safety 

environment. Point out that every child needs security in the home environment 

and that have to be both physical and emotional 

6.- ​A state of resolution: 

The ethical dilemma for this case about rape, and realizing that a member of 

the family did this harm to a child is a disintegration of a family and is a abuse, it 

is not safety for the child. 

Normally, society has placed a high value on the welfare of children and the 

integrity of families. But, it wasn’t until recently that the idea of children’s “rights” 

was generally accepted. Society has mobilized opinion and developed social 

institutions to support both children and their families.  

After all, when faced with the abuse and neglect of children by their parents 

and caregivers, society has been cautious to address the problem. Social worker 

feels and emotion, first we need for child protection through legislation, family 

rehabilitation, and awareness in the community at large of the need to report such 

incidence. 

 
 
Works cited 
 
 
​www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.