Milestone Four: Bonnie Bruise

This paper discusses the ethical dilemma occurring in the Bonnie Bruise case, where a professor goes through a hard decision about a student disclosing being the victim of domestic violence. The paper also includes an overall strategy for conflict resolution, a review of an alternative strategy, and ethical issues related to multiple role relationships, multicultural competence, and influences of cultural and social orientation using the ethical principles and standards of the American Psychological Association. This paper further highlights balancing confidentiality, safety, cultural sensitivity, and professional responsibilities in maintaining ethical integrity: Milestone Four: Bonnie Bruise.

Ethical Strategy Using an Eight-Step Analysis

The major ethical concerns in this scenario are the professor’s conflicting duties, Bonnie’s confidentiality, and her protection. Bonnie has disclosed incidents of domestic violence, physical harm, and stalking but declines campus police assistance. Her decline presents a decision to be made concerning Bonnie’s decision in terms of autonomy versus taking the necessary steps to prevent her further harm.

In addressing this issue, the professor shall take an ethical course of action based on the principles of APA Principles. The principle focuses on A (Beneficence and Nonmaleficence) and E (Respect for Rights and Dignity)(Varkey, 2020). Principle A calls for the need to minimize harm and ensure that the action taken is in the best interest of the individual. Principle E calls for respect for autonomy, dignity, and self-determination.

The stakeholders involved in this case are Bonnie, the professor, the university, and the alleged abuser. Several other alternative approaches were considered. First is respect for Bonnie’s wishes completely and not reporting the abuse while offering resources for support. The second option is reporting the abuse with Bonnie’s consent after explaining the potential risks and benefits of disclosure.

Third is the reporting of abuse without her consent, ensuring her safety. This latter option best balances the outcomes in that Bonnie’s autonomy is preserved while her understanding of the need to report for her safety is assured. This option will minimize harm while ethical integrity will be preserved. The implementation of this strategy requires clear communication with Bonnie.

The professor should explain their ethical and institutional obligations to report situations involving potential harm, emphasizing the shared goal of ensuring her safety. Collaboration with other professionals, such as campus counsellors, can provide additional support while reinforcing the importance of transparency. A post-action review should also be conducted to reflect on the effectiveness of the strategy and identify areas for improvement.

Opposing Ethical Strategy

One ethical strategy that might be grounded in the protection of Bonnie’s autonomy, even if that means not reporting her case to authorities when there is a continued risk. This strategy would be in strong adherence to the principle of APA E, which is respect for people’s rights to self-determination. It could also be supported by a commitment to self-determination and the rights of individuals to make decisions about their private lives. However, this course of action does not address the potential immediate harm from Bonnie’s situation.

The professor might inadvertently enable the continuation of abuse, which would be a violation of the APA Principle A by doing nothing. In addition, institutional policies often mandate reporting in cases of domestic violence or stalking, so this course of action may also violate legal and professional responsibilities (Geiderman & Marco, 2020). While this maintains confidentiality and autonomy, the approach neglects the professor’s ethical responsibility to ensure the protection of the vulnerable. The favoured approach of engaging Bonnie in the reporting process is more ethically viable as it provides a balanced relationship of autonomy and safety, staying within the generalized ethics and legal parameters.

Managing Multiple Relationships

The professor plays both teacher and confidant roles. Bonnie built a relationship that was based on a breach of the dividing line between personal and professional contact when she trusted her professor enough to share such confidence with her. These could have the potential for conflict of interest or perceived partiality, especially when the professor starts doing certain actions that Bonnie perceives as going beyond. Setting these issues aside will require clear professional boundaries being set.

The professor should outline at the beginning their ethical and institutional responsibilities, including reporting situations where a client might be a danger to themselves or others. Transparency will allow her to sustain the client’s trust while ensuring she is aware of the limitations of the professor’s role. Risks related to dual relationships will be minimized by working collaboratively with campus counsellors or other professionals able to provide specialist support uncomplicated by preexisting relationships.

Multicultural Competence

Multicultural competence informs one on how to navigate ethical dilemmas, most of which revolve around sensitive issues such as domestic violence. The cultural background and social conditioning might be the most significant influence that explains Bonnie’s hesitation to report the abuse. Cultural issues concerning family privacy, gender roles, or mistrust in authorities might influence whether or not assistance is pursued. Therefore, an ethical approach would be one that considers the culture of the individual when attempting to provide services to Bonnie.

The professor should focus on culturally sensitive communication that acknowledges Bonnie’s values and perspectives, all while making sure to underscore the importance of safety. Providing resources that are tailored to Bonnie’s cultural background, such as community-based support groups or bilingual counsellors, can help build trust and empower her to make informed choices. By showing respect for Bonnie’s cultural identity, the professor will have the opportunity to achieve better rapport and ensure that a proposed strategy aligns with her values and life circumstances.

Cultural and Social Orientation

Culture and social orientation greatly influence the process of developing ethical strategies. In an individualistic culture, autonomy and privacy are typically emphasized, which would explain why Bonnie objects to the approach of campus authorities. On the other hand, the professor will be influenced by the institutional requirements and social expectations for protecting vulnerable persons in an educational institution. It gives rise to a two-legged dilemma: one which respects Bonnie’s autonomy and, at the same time, feels the ethical responsibility of the professor.

A successful approach will maneuver this tension through a synthesis of sensitivity to culture with professional obligations. For example, the professor can frame the reporting process as done collaboratively to protect Bonnie’s safety, but her interest in the process is elicited. This approach, in so doing, will not only be sensitive to the given cultural and social dynamics but further strengthen the professor’s moral position.

Conclusion

The Bonnie Bruise case is an ethical dilemma that balances competing priorities around confidentiality, safety, cultural sensitivity, and professional responsibilities. The proposed strategy places a premium on open communication, consultation with experts, and culturally informed actions in an effort to be compatible with the APA ethical guidelines. This proposed strategy incorporates Bonnie into decision-making while accounting for the cultural and social expectations placed on her to ensure immediate safety is guaranteed while still respecting her autonomy. Such a solution, though autonomy normally may be argued as the priority of opposing strategies, is holistic and ethically appropriate to the dilemma presented.

References

Geiderman, J. M., & Marco, C. A. (2020). Mandatory and permissive reporting laws: Obligations, challenges, moral dilemmas, and opportunities. Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open, 1(1), 38-45. https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12011

Varkey, B. (2020). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17-28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000509119

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Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed within the final project outline template:

Milestone Four: Bonnie Bruise

• Develop an ethical strategy for your chosen scenario using an Eight-Step analysis to address the ethical issues. Be sure to explain how your ethical strategy follows supported ethical guidelines. You might consider the following: What steps would you take to address the issue? What ethical principles and standards inform this strategy?
• Assess how your strategy differs from an opposing ethical strategy that could be used to address this situation and justify why your strategy would be preferable. Be sure to explain whether the opposing strategy follows supported ethical guidelines. You might consider the following: What other principles or standards could be implemented? What counterarguments may arise in response to your strategy? How would you answer them?
• Assess your strategy for how it addresses ethical problems associated with multiple role relationship issues. You might consider the following: Does your strategy consider the appropriateness of the different relationships psychologists can have with clients?
• Assess your strategy for how it addresses ethical problems associated with multicultural competence issues. You might consider the following: Does your strategy consider issues of diversity and culture with regard to your chosen ethical issue?
• Explain the influence of culture and social orientation on the development of your ethical strategy. You might consider the following: What cultural implications did you feel you had to consider when developing your strategy?

What to Submit

• Your paper must be submitted as a 2- to 3-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and any referenced sources referenced in APA format.