Overview
Because social work is a helping profession, values and ethics matter as much as knowledge and skills. Values are beliefs about what is good or desirable; ethics are rules of conduct, derived from those values, about what is right or wrong. Values set the direction and ethics translate it into concrete standards of behaviour. Values such as human dignity, self-determination and social justice are made concrete in practice principles such as Biestek's relationship principles and confidentiality.
Levy's three value dimensions
In a 1973 article, Charles S. Levy grouped the values of the social work profession into three dimensions.
- Preferred conceptions of people: how people are viewed, for example that every person has inherent worth and dignity and the capacity to change.
- Preferred outcomes for people: what results are desirable, such as opportunities for growth, meeting basic needs and removing discrimination as social responsibilities.
- Preferred instrumentalities for dealing with people: how people should be treated, such as respect, self-determination and a non-judgemental attitude during practice.
Codes of ethics
- NASW Code of Ethics: first approved in 1960; the current code was approved by the 1996 Delegate Assembly and revised through 2021. It names six core values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence.
- Korean Code of Ethics for Social Workers: adopted by the Korea Association of Social Workers in 1982 and fully revised in its fifth revision in April 2023, with standards toward clients, colleagues, society and agencies.
- Functions: a code guides practice, protects clients and acts as self-regulation that safeguards professional identity and public trust.
Ethical dilemmas
An ethical dilemma arises when two or more values or duties conflict so that any choice sacrifices one of them. Frederic G. Reamer lists common dilemmas in direct practice: confidentiality and its limits, self-determination versus paternalism, obeying laws and rules, dual relationships and boundaries, conflicts between professionals, and allocating limited resources. When a client at risk of self-harm asks for secrecy, for instance, protecting life conflicts with confidentiality.
Ethical decision-making: the Ethical Principles Screen
Loewenberg and Dolgoff suggest first applying the rules of the code of ethics and, where no rule applies or rules conflict, using a ranked Ethical Principles Screen.
- Protection of life
- Equality and inequality
- Autonomy and freedom
- Least harm
- Quality of life
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Truthfulness and full disclosure
Higher-ranked principles take precedence; later editions added attention to social justice. The screen adapts ethical theories such as deontology and consequentialism to practice, and is used alongside evidence-based practice in supervision and case conferences.
References
- Levy, C. S. (1973). The value base of social work. Journal of Education for Social Work, 9(1), 34–42.
- Reamer, F. G. (2018). Social Work Values and Ethics (5th ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
- Dolgoff, R., Harrington, D., & Loewenberg, F. M. (2012). Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
- National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Washington, DC: NASW.
- 한국사회복지사협회. (2023). 『사회복지사 윤리강령』(제5차 개정). 서울: 한국사회복지사협회.