Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct - Case Study Example

Capstone Project The purpose of this essay is to elaborate upon an incident whereby a psychologist’s failure to fulfil her appropriate responsibilities resulted in an ethical dilemma for certain affected people. The incident is first discussed in detail so as to make the reader aware of the facts of the event. Particularly focusing on the ethical questions that are raised due to the irresponsibility and carelessness of the psychologist, the paper tries to discuss at length the stark possibilities that may arise once a psychologist is allotted some duty. The latter part of the essay deals with the measures that may be taken, for instance ethical decision making processes, in order to make certain that such a situation does not arise the next time. The Incident On 29th April 2010, an eighth grade student was beaten badly by his science teacher Miss Sherri Davis. This incident took place at the Jamie’s House Charter School Houston when the teacher suddenly snapped and attacked thirteen year old Isaiah Johnson. (Teacher Beating Student Caught on Tape--Some Think its OK) According to the enquiry team that was set up after the incident, she caught him making fun of another student. At this point she should have understood that boys at this age do make fun of other students. This is something that is usual. She could have helped with the situation by attempting to discipline the boy, by telling him that it was wrong to make fun of others but instead of doing that, she chose to beat him up. What was worse was the fact that she let other students make a video of the entire beating up. In the video it can be seen that young Isaiah keeps on backing up with the wall as the teacher moves towards him. It can be observed that he is scared as she moves forward. Later, the kid told the authorities that he thought that the teacher was joking at first because technically he had not done something very wrong. He also added that he was surprised at the way the teacher suddenly snapped at him. What is more disturbing is the fact that the teacher let the other students to make a video of him being beaten up and post it on a website called ‘Youtube,’ thereby creating an ethical issue as far as the confidentiality of the student is concerned. The treatment of the student was seen by millions of people as he was dragged across the floor. According to a newspaper report (2010) the video ‘shows the woman slapping, punching and tossing the boy around.’ The child further stated that the teacher had called the other teachers to see what was done to him and no one protested. Rather they roared in laughter (voices can be heard in the video) and the teacher, Miss Sherri Davis, did not do even scold them. After the school authorities saw the video, they immediately set up an enquiry committee and fired the teacher. The enquiry committee found out that the student Isaiah was already one of the teacher’s least favorite students. There was a certain group of students she preferred over the others. Apparently, the thirteen year old student, Isaiah had made fun of one of the students she favored. At this, the teacher got angry, lost her temper and did not just punish Isaiah for his act but actually humiliated him in front of the entire class and later, in front of millions of viewers. He was also told that he was up to no good and that he should be expelled. Now that the incident has been discussed in much detail, the paper will focus on some of the responsibilities of teachers so that one may be aware of the different ethical dilemmas that have been caused by the incident. The role and responsibilities As a teacher, a person has particular responsibilities. Since there are many people who are usually dependent on a teacher, it is important that he/she fulfils his/ her responsibilities to the fullest. Along with carrying out responsibilities, a teacher is also expected to assess different situations ethically. For ethical purposes, a certain number of morals are defined by the APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct. In the field of education and training, the APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct prescribes that the teachers make the learning experience as pleasant as possible. As far as the academics are concerned, a teacher is required to teach courses and design training programs where the appropriate knowledge and experience is provided to the students. The training and educational programs are not necessarily constricted to the learning of academics. They also include the learning of morals and etiquettes, of how people should interact with each other, of how to assess different situations etc. A teacher is also needed to provide feedback to the student and assess the students’ performances by establishing a certain timely and specific process. This requires the capability of the teacher to make the students understand about any issues in their work. This process also requires that the teacher helps the students with any personal problems that may be suffering from. However it is important that the teacher keeps the personal information confidential and does not disclose it to any one, not even his/ her colleagues. Under the APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct, teachers are also not allowed to report in oral or writing, or capture in video, any history of abuse or neglect. The most important responsibility of the teacher is to use his/ her authority the appropriate way. Although the students are allowed a certain amount of autonomy, they still are very dependent on teachers. It is pertinent that the teacher realises the fact that the use of the authority in an inappropriate and unethical manner may not just harm the students, but also cause other ethical dilemmas. One of such dilemmas is favouritism and discrimination on the basis of age, gender, race, grades etc. A teacher’s role, hence, is to provide training programs that are not just to provide academic information, but also to incorporate a just and unbiased system of accountability as far as the academic progress of individuals is concerned. Now, the paper will discuss in detail some of the ethical dilemmas caused by the incident in relation to the APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct. The Ethical dilemmas It is obvious that the incident that is discussed in the beginning of the paper is that of abuse. Even a lay man would realise that the temperament of the teacher towards the student was not what it should have been. The physical assault, the discrimination and the humiliation caused are some things that are against the rights of individuals. The humiliation was not intended to serve the purpose of ‘disciplining’ the boy. Rather it was obviously aimed to destroy the self respect of the boy. At least that is what it seems to be done for. Meanwhile, the teacher violated many ethical principles that are laid down by the APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct. According to principle 4.03 of the Code of Conduct, a teacher or trainer would have to require permission from their legal representatives and from the people to whom they provide services, before the recording of any video. It is apparent from the content of the video that the teacher did not ask for permission from Isaiah or from any of the school authorities because they were unaware of the entire incident. Therefore Miss Sherri Davis violated the privacy of Isaiah and abashed him not just in front of his schoolmates and teachers, but also in front of many others. The teacher also violated the clause 4.04b on privacy and confidentiality that states that the teachers should minimize the intrusions on privacy. This is because he not only insulted the student in front of the entire class but also invited other teachers to see how the thirteen year old gets beaten up. According to the clause 1.08 of the Code of Conduct, it is enjoined upon a teacher to not discriminate against any student. Rather it is prescribed that he/ she treats all respondents in an unbiased and just way. This is done so that none of the students is harmed because of the personal liking of the teacher. However, from the enquiry report, it can be deduced that the teacher was also responsible for the violation of this clause because he tried to take ‘revenge’ from Isaiah for the fact that he laughed at her favourite student’s learning abilities. The attitude of the teacher is a clear violation of the clause. It was not expected from her to act in such an unethical manner. In the incident, the teacher also violated the clause 7.06a to some extent. The principle 7.06a states that the performance of the student would be assessed in a timely and precise manner. The same scenario did not hold valid for the teacher. As soon as she got angry, Miss Sherri Davis accused Isaiah of being a failure and suitable for nothing. The assessment of the student’s performance in this regard was a violation for sure. Not only was it exposed to the whole class but it was also carried out in a random manner. Incidents such as the one mentioned above do not just result in the physical assault of individuals, but also in the long term degradation and the destruction of self respect. Teacher abuse is getting common day by day and this is a problem that requires proper attention. Measures It is important to hold certain ethical decision making discussions for teachers before they are allowed to teach and even after they have been employed as teachers. These discussions are important because they would help the teachers to relate to certain experiences and also help them understand what should have been done in certain scenarios. In the example that has been elaborated upon throughout the course of the paper, a discussion session would have taught the teacher to behave in a rational manner. It might have also taught her to get a grip of herself when angered by students so that a better and friendlier teacher-student relation would have been established. There are many steps that would help educate psychologists. For instance they may be allowed to identify a certain problem. For instance, if a psychologist acts illegally, he/ she would be able to identify it as an illegal act, an unethical act or a professional act. After the identification, the psychologist may also be able to deduce the issues that may arise for both him/her and the respective clients. Hence the ethical decision process may teach psychologists to consider the implications of their acts. The decision making process may also force the psychologists to review their professional codes. Often professionals are not aware of the ethical dilemmas that may arise due to their slightest irresponsibility but the process may encourage them to take more interest in what they have been assigned to do. Professionals may also consider the applicable laws, regulations and other professionals. Also because of the decision making process, psychologists may learn to brainstorm certain courses of actions keeping in mind the consequences of each action. All in all, the psychologists may learn to evaluate the outcomes of each action and would think before doing something wrong. Conclusion To conclude, the incident like that of the public humiliation of a thirteen year old Isaiah by the teacher was an unfortunate one. Incidents like these are clear violations of the principles defined by the APA Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct and an ethical decision making process seems to be the most important solution to help deal with the problem. The decision making process not just helps the psychologists to be more aware of the rules and regulations but also helps them to brainstorm about any outcome. References APA. (2010). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. US. APA. Gallagher, M. (2010). Teacher Beating Student Caught on Tape--Some Think its OK. Available from < http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978235025> (Accessed 14 August 2010) New York News. (2010).Houston Texas teacher abuse: Cell phone video caught teacher beating 13-year-old. Available from < http://www.newyorkinjurynews.com/2010/05/13/houston-texas-teacher-abuse-beating-13-year-old_201005133568.html> (Accessed 14 August 2010) Stansbury, N. and Stansbury, C. (2005). Unethical Behaviour and Criminal Acts. London. Soceity of Construction Law. Read More