Ethics in Child and Youth Development

Ethics are the forefront of social work and child and youth care work (Harington, 2010). The reason for this essay is to understand ethical practice in child and youth care work. Key terms will be provided as well as discussions made about the importance of ethical practice, possible consequences of unethical practice as well as examples of unethical practice. A reflective piece will also be provided.

Key Terms

Ethics

Ethics are seen as a branch of philosophy that involves itself with human conduct and moral decision making that directs people in deciding what is right and what is wrong (Dolgoff., Harrington., & Loewenberg, 2012: 27).

Professional Ethics

Guidance that allows the individual to alter professional values into professional practice activities (Dolgoff., et al., 2012: 27).

Ethical Dilemma

A situation in which moral principles or ethical duties conflict in such a way that the solution to the dilemma is morally and ethically impossible (Flamond, 2012).

Code of Ethics

A code of ethics is a set of rules or guidelines that are put together to set out acceptable acts and behaviours for members of a specific group, association or profession (The Role of Ethics in Social Work: Why is Ethics Important in Social Work, 2008).

The Importance of Ethical Practice

Ethics are described as an important facet of our lives, of who we are in the world as individuals as well as in relationships with others (Stuart, 2009: 182). The importance of ethical practice is that ethics are situated at the joining point of theory and practice as well as guiding individuals with the knowledge of knowing what is right and what is wrong, especially in decision-making situations (The Role of Ethics in Social Work: Why is Ethics Important in Social Work, 2008). It is also important that a code of ethics is set in every profession. According to Stuart (2009), a code of ethics is a set of rules or guidelines and standards for behaviour or also as a set of principles to...