Ethical and psychosocial issues raised by the practice in cases of mistreatment of older adults

Intervention regarding older adult mistreatment raises many questions for practitioners. They have to interact with the victim, the abuser, and, in many cases, with both of them at the same time. In such cases, five themes emerge from the literature review on psycho-social and ethical issues in practice: practitioners' pre-construction and axiological frameworks, victims' capacity, confidentiality versus collaboration between practitioners or between agencies, social and family responsibilities and the balance between competing values in practice. Practitioners are well placed to offer a critical reflection on their practice and on ways of improving it. The goal of our qualitative study is to identify issues and ethical dilemmas in elderly mistreatment situations as represented in the discourses of practitioners in reference to interventions in their psychosocial practice. Sixteen practitioners from the public and community (non-profit organization) sectors were interviewed using a practice history approach. This paper presents the main ethical and psychosocial issues raised by practitioners and some ideas to improve the practice. It is motivated by the crucial question haunting the practitioners' minds: "How far should we go?"     

Ethical issues in the translation of social neuroscience: a policy analysis of current guidelines for public dialogue in human research

Social neuroscience and its potential implications create an interesting case study for examining human research ethics policies on the topic of public communication of research. We reviewed mainstream national and international human research ethics guidelines and policies on issues of public communication of research. Our analysis relied on five thematic nets to capture the interactions between research and the public: public understanding, knowledge translation, public participation, social outcomes, and dual use. Coverage of these topics is sparse and inconsistent in mainstream policies and guidelines. We identify three options to address these gaps and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.     

Parents' psychological self-concepts and children issues in low-income families in Singapore

Drawing on data from a survey of 430 families who were recipients of a government financial assistance scheme, the study found that different types of children issues affected different types of psychological self-concepts experienced by the sample of low-income parents. While parents' sense of self-efficacy was decreased by children's poor grades, parenting stress was aggravated by both children's health and behaviour problems. The effects were stronger for parents with teenage children than parents with younger children. The findings imply the importance of better integration of services to meet the different needs of low-income families, and of a supportive manner of providing assistance.     

Assessment issues in working with mothers who induce illness in their children

Mothers who induce illness in their children are abusing them. What must be uppermost in the mind of the child protection worker is the effect of the mother’s behaviour on the child. A good assessment of the mother is essential in making decisions about the child’s safety. Schreier & Libow (1993) estimate that nearly 10% of mothers who deliberately induce illness in their children ultimately kill them. The construction with the mother of a comprehensive genogram is an essential tool for assessment. Denial by the mother is usual and overt confrontation is usually not a helpful technique. Key assessment questions are: What are the mother’s real feelings about this child? Can the mother imagine what life will be like with a well child? Is this mother more than extremely anxious or overprotective towards her child? This difficult, complex work can arouse intense feelings in individual workers and within the assessment team. Good supervision is essential.     

Ethical guidelines for research with children: A review of current research ethics documentation in New Zealand

Abstract

Children's rights to participate in matters affecting them, including research, have gained increasing recognition over recent decades. This recognition, and the growth in research with children as participants, has given rise to greater attention from researchers to ethical issues related to child research. This article reviews the current ethics documentation in New Zealand. The findings indicate that considerable variation exists between ethical codes and guidelines in relation to research with children. The dominant focus is on attending to issues of consent and protection from harm, at the outset of the research, rather than recognition of the ongoing nature of ethical issues throughout the research process. Although the findings indicate an increase in the consideration of ethical issues, the existing documentation is inconsistent and inadequate in attending to specific child‐related issues. Suggestions are made to enhance children's participation in research and demonstrate a respect for their participation rights.     

论责任的道德价值

作为伦理学的基本范畴,责任的发生是由人们的利益关系所决定的,责任行为依据的是主观所拥有的道德能力,体现了道德实践精神的内在要求。责任所包含的道德强制力和道德理性,是所有道德规范中最多的,也是社会的道德要求和个人的道德信念结合得最紧密的。因此在道德规范的整个体系中,责任是处于最高层次的道德规范。承担责任不一定是道德行为,但道德行为必然意味着对责任的承担,责任是一切道德价值的基础。责任的道德价值体在:道德责任是道德运动的中介环节;道德责任有利于建立社会广泛参与的、统一协调的道德调控体系;道德责任是社会经济有序运行和科技成果造福人类的重要保证。     

Ethical Virtues in Scientific Research

Most approaches to promoting integrity in research are principle-based in that they portray ethical conduct as consisting of adherence to ethical rules, duties, or responsibilities. Bruce MacFarlane has recently criticized the principle-based approach to promoting integrity in research and offered a virtue-based alternative. MacFarlane argues that principle-based approaches do not provide adequate guidance for ethical decision-making and are not very useful in moral education. In this article, I examine and critique MacFarlane's defense of the virtue-based approach. I argue that virtue-based and principle-based approaches to ethics are complementary and that they both can help promote research integrity.     

论共和主义公民的美德

公民是伦理治理或善治的主体和关键要素.一个持久和正当的伦理治理行为,既是公民施行的治理,也是对公民实行的治理,因而就可以理解成是公民的“互治”.公民身份的共和主义解释所涵括的积极生活、爱国主义以及勇敢、宽恕与承诺等美德,能够最大限度地克服当下以个人权利为导向的“公民私人化”倾向,更加符合当代政治社会的公共性和重叠性情境.     

前瞻性技术伦理治理研究

新技术引入社会后,在为人们带来福利的同时也时常引起一些伦理问题,而且根据"穆尔律令",随着新技术日益广泛的应用,它们的伦理问题还将增加.实际上,新技术的伦理问题在其研发阶段就蕴含了.为了使输入到社会的新技术符合社会的伦理价值,我们可以在研发阶段对其进行前瞻性的伦理治理.工程师、科学家、管理者和政府官员是前瞻性技术伦理治理的主体,他们可以按照"两阶段"模式进行治理.经过前瞻性的伦理治理,输入社会的新技术将达到伦理可接受和社会满意.     

社会工作伦理价值在社区矫正中的彰显

社会工作在社区矫正实践中具有得天独厚的优势,并发挥着不可替代的作用.由于受社会认同度低、社区矫正工作者素质亟待提高、社会支持系统匮乏以及社区矫正制度尚不完善等因素的限制,社会工作方法在社区矫正中并没有发挥其应有的作用.社会工作源于人道主义等价值理念,对所有人平等、尊重人的价值与尊严以及注重个性是其基本的价值取向.基于此,在社区矫正工作中,应对矫正对象无条件地接纳,尊重其人格,提高其自信力;针对矫正对象的特殊性,确立其自决原则,尊重其隐私权,并对其信息保密.     

Ethical Assessment of the Use of Influence in Adult Protective Services

The role of influence in social work practice has been generally understated despite its importance to the course and outcome of the clinical process. This paper examines the influence strategies used by adult protective service workers with clients who refuse the services that the workers think the clients need for their own protection. It then discusses the moral justifications provided by the workers for using influence to overcome their clients' reluctance to comply with their recommendations. Finally it suggests questions to guide an ethical assessment of the use of influence in practice.     

An Ethical Dilemma in Elder Abuse

Abstract

While most elder abuse is perpetrated by family members, some may be performed by strangers. When the elderly victim reaches out to the social agency but then refuses services, an ethical dilemma is created for the social worker. Conflicts arise among social work values and the ethical principles of autonomy and paternalism, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. A model of ethical justification is applied that explains the possible decisions in this case. The actual resolution of the dilemma is accomplished through a social work practice principle.     

论犯罪新闻传播的伦理向度

犯罪新闻的娱乐化昭示着新闻自由权的滥用,理性检视犯罪报道的伦理风向是传媒生态重构所无法规避的问题。无论犯罪新闻偏向事实议题还是价值议题,当错设“报复合理”的逻辑时,犯罪便有被降格为道义过错的危险。犯罪新闻报道无可厚非,但受众需要的是足够审慎的传播。犯罪新闻的价值本位在于引导公众理性承受与防控犯罪,既不能否认传媒对犯罪的推波助澜的作用,也不宜无限放大两者的相关性。犯罪新闻报道犹如一把双刃剑,其传播功能的良窳最终取决于媒介自律与伦理转向。     

An Ethical Interpretation of the Nash Choice Rule

This paper provides an ethical intepretation of the Nash choice rule. In a setting in which (cardinal) utilities are interpersonally comparable, this procedure is characterised by an impartiality requirement and by the assumption that choices are not responsive to the agents' relative ability to convert resources into utility.