1

Running head: VALUES AND ETHICS

Views on Values and Ethics

Kelly E. Burg
SW 3010
October 8,2014
Wayne State University

VALUES AND ETHICS

Personal Belief on Values
All of the values are important when practicing social work. The two values that I see
extremely helpful when practicing social work are Integrity and Dignity and Worth of the Person.
I think these two are the most helpful because I believe that social workers should be very
trustful and honest. They have to make sure the client is comfortable with them. Once someones
trust is broken, it is very hard to get it back.
The second value that I find important is Dignity and Worth of the Person. I believe that
everyone should be treated equally no matter the circumstance. Social workers need to keep in
mind that not all cultures are the same. Some of the clients may have differences when it comes
to their own beliefs. I also think that the way you treat your client may be the way he or she will
treat you back.
Growing up, I have had a rough home life. My parents got divorced when I was ten years
old. My father left me and my mother and didnt speak to me until I was 18 years old. My
mother and I both have been victims of domestic abuse and violence. We also experienced
having an addict that was addicted to heroin in our family.
All of these different life experiences have helped me shape my values and my belief in
social work. I want to be able to help people who are facing different challenges in their lives. I
want to be able to provide the best services to people. I also want to show my integrity that I
have by helping my clients.

VALUES AND ETHICS

Population Difficulties
The population I would have a hard time serving would be domestic violence and abuse
for women. This area would be very difficult for me because I have had a life experience that has
dealt with domestic violence. Domestic violence and abuse is a hard topic for me to talk about. I
also have a very hard time listening to different stories about violence and abuse when it comes
to women. Domestic violence and abuse is a topic that is very common in this day and age.
Seeing woman in situations and relationships they shouldnt be in breaks my heart. I also
believe that I would have a hard time not giving my opinion on what to do. A lot of women also
stay in these relationships with these men or whoever is abusing them. It could be a sign of
comfort for many women. When nobody should ever have to deal with the feeling of abuse or
violence.
Own Life Experiences with Problem Area
Throughout my life, I have dealt with two different incidents when it came to domestic
violence and abuse. I personally have been a victim of abuse and my mother has been a victim of
abuse. When I was younger, I grew up living a very hard life. My parents would constantly fight,
when sometimes it would get so bad where my father would abuse my mother. When I was
younger, I would think nothing of it. As the years went on, I grew up and realized this is totally
not okay for my father to hit my mother.
When a huge fight would occur and the hitting would start happening. I would start to get
in the middle to block my mother from getting hit. I remember one time, the fight got so bad to
the point where both my brother and I got in the middle of it. My father was going after my

VALUES AND ETHICS

mother and I stepped in and grabbed my dad and threw him right down the stairs, causing him to
break his ankle.
After this fight occurred, my parents finally got divorced and went their separate ways.
This was for the better for both my parents and my brother and I. As the years went on, I began
to date. I would always tell myself I will never allow a guy to do anything that my father would
do to my mother.
In this case, I was young, stupid, and in love. I had a boyfriend throughout high school,
we met when I was fourteen and dated until I was nineteen. The first two years was like a total
fairytale to me. Throughout the relationship things began to change. There was constant
arguments that went on. He would always accuse me of doing certain things that I didnt do.
There were so many red flags that began to pop up.
Being a teenager and a girl you really dont think anything of it. You try everything in
your power to make your boyfriend happy at that age. Then one day, I totally opened my eyes. I
was a senior in high school enjoying my few football games in senior year. I had one very close
guy friend and he asked me to wear his jersey to one of the games. Even though I had a
boyfriend who was already out of school, I thought nothing of it. I never thought it would be
such a big deal.
My boyfriend ended up showing up to that football game and seeing me in his jersey. He
pulled me behind the bleachers and grabbed me by the football jersey and screamed at me in my
face, he then proceeded to hit me across the face and call me a whore. I knew right then in
there that I will never allow a guy to do that to me.

VALUES AND ETHICS

Seeing my mother go through domestic violence and me being a victim, it would be a
super tough area for me to work in. I would really have to try hard to keep my personal stories to
myself instead of sharing them. It would also be very tough for me to not tell them exactly how I
think. Instead of allowing them to make their own decision, while giving them guidance through
it.
Religious Belief Barrier to Population
Growing up, I was very religious. I grew up Catholic and also attended a Catholic School
for my whole life until high school. Domestic violence and the Catholic Religion is totally
looked down upon. This would also be an issue when trying to work with a client about domestic
violence because I was raised knowing that it is totally wrong to stay in a relationship that
involves this abuse.
Assisting Group in Non-Judgmental Way
When working with a women that has faced domestic violence and abuse, I would have
to put my past behind me and just focus on the client. I also would not judge the client if she
chooses to stay with the man or whoever is abusing her. My job would be to lead her in the right
direction to receive the needs that she may need such as counseling or even a shelter to stay at
for a while. I would display a positive image by providing the best service that is possible. If the
situation is too hard for me to deal with I would hand over my client to someone else who would
be more beneficial to her.

VALUES AND ETHICS

Ethical Codes Helping with Serving Population
Since domestic abuse and violence holds such a strong place in my heart, it may be
difficult to try to serve my clients who have been a victim. If this occurred while working in my
agency, I would keep in mind the two values service and competence. I would want to give my
client the best service possible. Knowing that I have struggled with this in my own life, I feel like
Im not able to provide the best service possible. This goes along with the value competence. I
would want to refer my client to another person who may do a better job and give the client
better resources.
Referring Clients
Social workers never know what issue the client has until he or she meets with them. If
my client was a victim of domestic abuse and violence I would sit them down and explain to my
client why Im having a difficult time serving them. I wouldnt tell my whole life story, but I
would say that I was also a victim of domestic violence and abuse and it is a very hard subject
for me to talk about. After, I would ask the client if it would be okay to refer them to another coworker who may provide better service to him or her.
My Life as a Future Social Worker
This assignment has helped me be more understanding when working with clients who
may have been a victim of domestic violence or abuse. It give me the understanding while
practicing social work, which I may come across a victim. I also realized that I should remember
my core values service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human
relationships, integrity, and competence.

VALUES AND ETHICS

Coming into this career, I knew it wasnt going to be an easy thing to do. In the future I would
like to work either working with juvenile delinquents or working in an elementary school. I want
to work with children because I had a rough life growing up. I also wish that I would have had
more guidance when I was dealing with the different issues I faced growing up. With this being
said, I want to help children grow and live a healthy life and try to help them with an issues that
they may face.
CONCLUSION
The Values and Ethics are put in place for every social worker to follow. The core values
that every social worker needs to follow are service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person,
importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. With every one of the six core
values, there are ethical standards that should be followed to make up the true meaning of the
value.

VALUES AND ETHICS

References
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of Ethics of the National Association of
Social Workers. Washington, DC. NASWA Press. Retrieved from
http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp.