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Megan Martin
Ethics Paper
Child Welfare
February 27, 2014
















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Abstract

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics should be followed in
every situation, even when it conflicts with an individual social workers personal beliefs,
morals, or values. There are plenty of examples throughout a social workers career where their
personal beliefs, morals, or values may cause them to want to make one decision, but the NASW
Code of Ethics say they must make a decision or up hold something for a client they personally
do not agree with. As social workers we all know in advance what this Code of Ethics says
before we agree to be official social workers in the field, and we all agree to follow this Code in
whatever situation may cross our path. This Code is not simple guidelines that social workers can
decide whether or not they want to follow. This Code is every social workers rule book to
practice and career life. This Code was created to be the guiding direction of how to practice in
our field, and it is a reference for difficult situations where we need help in deciding what to do
for certain clients or situations. If social workers were to decide for themselves personal Codes
of Ethics to follow instead of following the NASW Code of Ethics our profession would not
have a united ethical front. A conclusion from research shows that social workers belief in the
code did not influence behavior congruence with the code. Therefore, this paper will elaborate in
why following the Code versus ones personal beliefs, morals, or values is the better option.












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Every child welfare social worker holds their own personal set of beliefs, morals, and
values that are unique and individual to themselves. As a social worker they are required to
follow a set Code of Ethics that all social workers must adhere to. The National Association of
Social Workers (NASW) has this Code of Ethics to work effectively as a rule book for social
workers to follow and look to in their field of practice and throughout their career lives. A child
welfare social worker should stand by this Code of Ethics at all times, even if their own personal
beliefs, morals or values conflict with this Code. It is important to always follow this Code so
that social workers appear as a united profession, and come across to clients that we all stand for
the same ethical principles. If we were to follow our own personal code then we would not be a
united profession which would result in negative consequences and situations.
One of the sections in the NASW Code of Ethics addresses Respect of colleagues and
clients. It states that social workers need to treat colleagues with respect and that we should
avoid negative criticism of colleagues in their communication with clients or other professionals
(NASW Code of Ethics). An example related to this standard is what if our colleague is talking
poorly about a mother they just got done visiting at her home? The mother is a drug addict that is
relapsing and is on the verge of losing her parental rights to her children because she has
relapsed and isnt getting her life together like she said she would be. The colleague is speaking
negatively about the client openly to people in the office, which is unprofessional behavior. The
Code of Ethics calls us to still respect this colleague even though they are speaking negatively
and unprofessionally and their client. However, our personal code thinks that we have lost
respect for this colleague because of how they are speaking about this mother. Even though our
personal code thinks we should not respect this co-worker anymore, we still must follow the
Code of Ethics and respect them.
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Amy Chanmugam wrote A Qualitative Study of School Social Workers Clinical and
Professional Relationships when Reporting Child Maltreatment where she studied what it was
like for school workers to report child maltreatment cases, and what happened with the
relationships professionally within the schools once the cases were reported. She also wrote
about social workers being mandated to report suspected abuse and neglect, and what it was like
for them to report such things once they had come across them. This raises another example. By
law child welfare social workers are required to report these things, but the question raised is
what if our personal code does not want to report suspected abuse or neglect right as we first see
it? What if the situation is we suspect abuse or neglect when we see bad bruises day by day on a
child, and we know their parent in known for their bad temper? So we go ahead and report this
because we are supposed to, but then the parent hears we reported them or they are contacted that
they were reported and then the parent takes it out on the child, and the child gets hurt even
worse because we reported them? If a social worker would want to listen to their own personal
code and take steps to ensure the childs safety before reporting this suspicion then maybe it will
be better for the child. However, our Code of Ethics says we are mandated to report this within
the slightest suspicion immediately. Even if reporting right way may be against our personal
beliefs of what is best for the child, we still need to follow the Code always.
There are many situations within a social workers career where we will be faced with the
decision of following what we personally believe or following the Code of Ethics. There are a
few main points that we as a united profession must keep in mind. We must do what is in the
best interest of the client while at the same time being mindful of our own personal biases.
According to the Code of Ethics we are not feeling competent enough in any client social worker
situation, and then we can refer them to another social worker. However while thinking of
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referring them to someone else we need to remember what is in their best interests. If we are
working with the mom in the previous example, and she just relapsed on drug usage, and she is
about to lose her rights to her children, and her actions cause us to feel that we are no longer
competent enough to work with her, and we want to her refer her to someone else that can work
with her case that is within our rights. However, what message does that send to the client that
once she relapses we in a sense abandon her and her case? This is another example of the
differences between following our personal code versus following the Code of Ethics, and which
decision would be the better to follow.
As many situations as there are where we are faced with the complicated choice of
following what we personally believe to be right or following the Code of Ethics, the choice
should be that we always adhere to the Code of Ethics set out be the NASW.












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References
1. DiFranks, Nikki Nelson. April 2008. Social Workers and the NASW Code of Ethics:
Belief, Behavior, Disjuncture. Retrieved from:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=1a9e46f4-18cd-4538-
926c-f1ccb4e43b92%40sessionmgr4003&vid=3&hid=4102
2. Chanmugam, Amy. 2009. Indigenous Youth Participatory Action Research: Re-
visioning Social Justice for Social Work with Indigenous Youths. Retrieved from:
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4a4961d6-68bf-4380-
b7cd-2037b2e47c4a%40sessionmgr110&vid=3&hid=115
3. Johnston-Goodstar, Katie. Oct 2013. A Qualitative Study of Social Workers Clinical
and Professional Relationships when Reporting Child Maltreatment. Retrieved from:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c217c1f9-88f2-46d5-
9cb4-d39caeddc1f4%40sessionmgr4005&vid=3&hid=4102.
4. NASW Delegate Assembly. 2008. Code of Ethics of the National Association of
Social Workers. Retrieved from: http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp.