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Ethical Dilemmas in Reporting Rape

Introduction

The ethical challenges arise in this situation when the social worker faces the question of whether impel the raped survivors to inform the authorities about their sexual assaults. Ethics in social work are fundamental to the whole profession for the good of the people we serve and in keeping with the profession’s codes. Along with the practitioner’s viewpoint, it aims to make real-world complex ethical dilemmas more tangible. It offers invaluable guidance, preferably from persons experienced in the field, which assists us in better understanding and implementing ethical principles in practice.

Interaction with a Social Worker on a Job

I arranged a comprehensive interview with Sarah, the skillful Social Worker, a woman with an extended record and profound experience in working with survivors of sexual violence. Sarah also explained how delusive it is to encourage reporting of sexual assaults amongst the victims as a result of the unavoidable ethical dilemmas. She stressed that survivors’ private lives, relationships, and decisions should remain sacrosanct on their behalf and referred to programs designed to make this happen. Sarah taught aspects of ethical guidelines she could put into practice. She also stated that she would often use principles like autonomy, beneficence, and social justice as I base her decisions whenever she encounters such dilemmas. Regarding whether it is a virtue to sacrifice professional values for the client’s interest, Sarah said ensuring survivors’ betterment is crucial while considering societal and political implications. She emphasized giving complete and supportive information to the survivors that can provide the basis for them to make decisions that align with their values and needs.

Incorporation of Personal Viewpoint

Taking the time to weigh over the situation, I think the case study is an objective moral dilemma. In particular, I come from the place of accepting the view that rape survivors should be non-judgmentally heard and providing them assistance, as they might encounter additional barriers and even face unforeseen harm in reporting. However, I am also careful to acknowledge the need to support victims of sexual assault and champion the fight against injustice (Adams et al. 1988). My position coincides with the practitioner’s key message concerning the required level of being informed and empowered. However, I am convinced of the necessity of regulating the system of injustice networks and making the criminal justice system operate for citizens, not vice versa. My ethical foundation for decision-making involves deontology and virtue ethics, putting values such as autonomy, justice, empathy, and integrity onto the table when advocating for survivors.

Analysis of Ethical Frameworks

Utilitarianism proposes that the moral stance of an action is the sum of the utility or the most significant amount of happiness it provides for all. In the context of reporting rape survivors, it is weighed by utilitarianism whether the outcomes of reporting include increased public awareness, the perpetrator of rape could be apprehended, future assaults may be deterred, and so on. Nevertheless, it means attempting a balancing act between the justification of these potential benefits and the harms the survivors may be subjected to, such as traumatization and lack of justice. Deontology stresses the duties and morality of our actions, with rules like autonomy, justice, and giving being put at the forefront. Social workers need to trust survivors’ right to take the initiative in the decision-making process and, simultaneously, seek justice and beneficence by listening and bringing about positive change in their lives (Bachman 258). Virtue ethics focuses on character traits, placing empathy, genuineness, and courage at the heart of supporting survivors with immense decency and compassion. Rights-based ethics presupposes that people have the right to self-determination, privacy, andjustice, even though there is a conflict between personal rights and social universality. Feminist ethics includes power dynamics and survivor-centered approaches as core dynamics, and the strategies are then used to promote empowerment and provide solutions to gender inequalities in the reporting and justice processes (Estrich, 1987).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the interview, combined with personal thinking, revealed more complex ethical aspects of social work, notably in such troublesome problems as persuading rape survivors to report the incident. Constantly dialoguing and critical thinking are pivotal to dealing with the intricacies apart from the professionalism required with the client’s interest put into the forefront to ensure ethical practice.

Works Cited

Adams, Aileen, and Gail Abarbanel. Sexual assault on campus: What colleges can do. Rape Treatment Center, Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center, 1988.

Bachman, Ronet. “Predicting the reporting of rape victimizations: Have rape reforms made a difference?.” Criminal Justice and Behavior 20.3 (1993): 254-270.

Estrich, Susan. Real rape. Harvard University Press, 1987.

 

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