Question 1

When asked to rank the ethical principles into a hierarchy, social workers do not agree about the order.

Accepted Answer

Social workers often have differing opinions on how to prioritize ethical principles due to the complexity and diversity of the situations they encounter, leading to a lack of consensus on a hierarchical order.

Question 2

The effectiveness criterion is concerned with

Accepted Answer

Effectiveness is about the degree to which a desired outcome is achieved, focusing on the results rather than the costs or processes involved.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a question the worker should ask himself before taking action in a situation?

Accepted Answer

The question "Will I impress my supervisor if I do this?" is not an appropriate consideration for ethical decision-making or taking action in a professional setting. Ethical decisions should be based on what is right or wrong, beneficial for the client, and can be justified to others, not on personal gain or impressing someone.

Question 4

The efficiency criterion is concerned with

Accepted Answer

The efficiency criterion focuses on the costs associated with achieving a stated outcome, emphasizing the optimal use of resources to achieve the desired result.

Question 5

Discuss how the protection of client's rights and welfare is similar and different from the protection of society's interests.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss how the protection of client's rights...

Question 6

Describe a social work practice situation where both society's interests and your client's interests are at stake.Discuss the ethical dilemma and what you see as your obligations to both.Then explain why you made the choices you did.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe a social work practice situation where...

Question 7

Define and contrast the efficiency criterion and the effectiveness criterion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define and contrast the efficiency criterion and...

Question 8

Ethical decisions result from making efficiency and effectiveness the primary considerations in decision-making.

Accepted Answer

Ethical decisions often involve considerations beyond efficiency and effectiveness, including fairness, equity, respect for individuals, and social responsibility.

Question 9

Explain in detail the concepts of Effectiveness and Efficiency, along with their similarities and differences.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain in detail the concepts of Effectiveness...

Question 10

When a natural disaster leaves many families homeless, giving a white family with three small children priority for housing over an African American family with one teenager demonstrates prejudice and is a violation of the principle of social justice.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When a natural disaster leaves many families...

Question 11

The "Least Harm Principle" depends on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The "Least Harm Principle" suggests choosing options that minimize harm, including those that do the least harm, the least permanent harm, and those where any harm caused can be most easily reversed.

Question 12

Take the following scenario and use the 11 steps of the General Decision-Making Model to work it out.
Craig is a licensed social worker who has been working in a level 5 emotionally disturbed (ED) program in Wichita Co., Kansas.He has held his position in the Graves School for over three years and enjoys his work.He works in the preschool with children three to seven years of age and must answer to two administrators.His primary supervisor is the senior social worker, Lori, and his second supervisor is Ted, the director of the preschool program.Craig becomes concerned about the lack of assistance and staffing in the three ED classrooms.He is seeing students neglected, staff continually injured, and most infuriating, staff who are incompetent and due to their incompetence receive more assistance in the classroom than classrooms with more behaviorally challenged students.Craig reports this to his social work supervisor and then to the schools head administrator.He never once spoke with the director of the preschool about his concerns.After three weeks of seeing no changes implemented in the classrooms, Craig asks for a transfer to a new division in the school.He is so upset he transfers all of his cases to 5 different social workers in the course of 2 weeks.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Take the following scenario and use the...

Question 13

According to the NASW Code of Ethics (2008), "Social workers should not allow an employing organization's policies, procedures, regulations, or administrative orders to interfere with their ethical practice of social work."

Accepted Answer

The NASW Code of Ethics emphasizes that social workers should prioritize ethical principles and values over organizational policies when the two are in conflict, ensuring the ethical practice of social work is maintained.

Question 14

List the seven ethical principles and discuss each one in detail.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List the seven ethical principles and discuss...

Question 15

Autonomy does not give a person the right to harm themselves or anyone else.

Accepted Answer

Autonomy respects an individual's right to make their own choices, but it is limited by the principle of non-maleficence, which prohibits actions that cause harm to oneself or others.

Question 16

Social workers are expected to keep absolute confidentiality.

Accepted Answer

Social workers are expected to maintain confidentiality but there are exceptions, such as when there is a risk of harm to the client or others, which may require them to break confidentiality.

Question 17

When confronted by problems for which there are no positive solutions, the ethical choice should be the one that will result in the least harm, the least permanent harm or the most easily reversible harm.

Accepted Answer

This principle aligns with the ethical theory of utilitarianism, which suggests that the best action is the one that maximizes utility, usually defined as that which produces the greatest well-being of the greatest number of people, and in this context, minimizing harm when no positive solutions are available.

Question 18

John Jones was court-ordered into anger management classes because of wife battering.After this week's meeting, Mr.Jones confided in the therapist that he
Had decided to kill his wife.Which ethical principle has priority in this case?

Accepted Answer

Protection of human life is the priority in this case because the therapist has a duty to prevent harm and protect the life of the client's wife, overriding confidentiality in situations where there is a clear and imminent threat to someone's safety.

Question 19

By using a general decision-making model as a tool, social workers can plan rationally what is needed for intervention in human situations and minimize the irrational, impulsive and unplanned consequences of actions.

Accepted Answer

A general decision-making model helps social workers systematically assess situations, consider various intervention strategies, and make informed decisions, thereby reducing the likelihood of impulsive, unplanned, and potentially harmful actions.

Question 20

Decisions will be better, more effective and more ethical if the process leading up to making them is unconscious.

Accepted Answer

Conscious decision-making allows for deliberate consideration of all factors, including ethical implications, leading to more informed, effective, and ethical decisions.

Quiz 4: Guidelines for Ethical Decision Making