My Area of Interest: The Study of Criminology - Essay Example

There will be several ethical dilemmas according to the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2010) that I will face. Standard 3.04 is the first of these ethical concerns that I will face which encompasses a clause for avoiding harm. In questioning these juveniles to gain an understanding of their motivations and the reasons behind their criminal activities there is a high probability of exposing them to reliving traumatic incidents and disturbing personal experiences.

Standard 4.02 which pertains to limiting confidentiality is another obstacle to the research that I would be undertaking. This ethical consideration would limit the amount of information disclosed by the subjects regarding their offenses and confidential details of the crime scene. This information could be critical in aiding the research however due to the confidentiality ethical dilemma further complexities in terms of reaching a comprehensive conclusion can be deterred. Furthermore, according to Creswell (2009), there might be a rising need to gain a consent form from the participants which might pose to be a problem since these juveniles might be hesitant to officially sign documents that pertain to formal information collecting.

The third ethical dilemma that research on this issue might face would be that of 4.06 – Consultation. This restricts the release of confidential information that might lead to the identification of the client during a consultation. However, this might act as a barrier to the research especially since the information that one cannot disclose is critical for the consultant to gain an in-depth understanding of the subject and hence prove to be of a key contributor to the investigation. References American Psychological Association (2010).

Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. (3rd Ed). SAGE Publications Assignment # 2 Write a Response to at least one of your colleague's postings. With the treatment of female sex offenders, there is a rise in several ethical dilemmas that the investigation might face. These coincide greatly with that my area of research, that of investigating motivations behind juvenile crime.

With clauses, 4.02 of limits on confidentiality and 3.04 of avoiding harm dictated by the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2010), there arise several barriers which prevent the researcher from getting to the root of the problem. Since the subjects, nature of offenses is one that they are determined to conceal extracting information from them purely on a research basis might pose a challenge on its own. However, the additional barrier in the face of ethical dilemmas which might involve the need to formalize procedures by for example getting a consent form might spook the subject and make them change their mind.

The third ethical dilemma that the study of female sexual offenders faces is that of Standard 3.05 Multiple Relationships. This issue is rightly spotted by the researcher as one that might have an impact on the research in terms of varying objectives and interests. However, it might add the benefit of having a unique or broader perspective on the area of investigation.