StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Ethical Dilemma in Forensic Psychology - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
This paper puts its focus on forensic psychology. Before getting into a detailed discussion of ethical dilemmas confronted by the members of this field, it is imperative to determine what it is all about…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.7% of users find it useful
Ethical Dilemma in Forensic Psychology
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Ethical Dilemma in Forensic Psychology"

Here the focus of discussion will be the ethical dilemma faced by psychologists while pursuing forensics as a career with special emphasis on their dual behavior, multiple relationships, and conflict of interests. Dual roles: A psychologist is a person that reads and understands the human mind. A forensic psychologist, however, has to perform dual functions i.e. as a therapist as well as the evaluator of the issue for legal documentation associated with a particular criminal presented at the court.

The ethical dilemma associated with the dual role of a forensic psychologist is to maintain the confidentiality of the data. Acting as a therapist, a psychologist has to make sure that whatever is being told to him by the criminal should not be leaked out anywhere to any other party, and the information should only be used for legal documentation or for proving the criminal’s crime or innocence. According to Cornin (2006), an important ethical dilemma that is not concerned by psychologists is the appropriate filing and use of tests when acting as a therapist.

Moreover, psychologists while providing legal services, or acting as an evaluator, do not tend to evaluate the facts objectively as there exists a lack of communication and difficulty in conducting interviews with the third party. Multiple relationships: According to Moore (2011), conflicting relationships are one of the ethical dilemmas faced by forensic psychologists while practicing their job. These conflicting relationships occur in case a therapist develops some emotional feelings with any of his patients and might not be willing to treat patients in some other hospitals.

However, this occurs when the therapists prefer to treat patients they know personally, as it requires less counseling as compared to treating the person they don’t know. In addition to this, another type of conflicting relationship occurs between the attorney and a psychologist. He may be forced to provide testimony and declare the case of a particular person that is coherent with the success of a particular case in the court. This gives rise to the development of the adverse and conflicting relationships of psychologists with the parties they deal with on a daily basis.

According to Weinberger and Sreenivasan (1994), sometimes in prison, forensic psychologists are forced to do tasks that are not related to their area of expertise. In case a prison is less staffed and they need to have a staff for security, it is quite possible that forensic psychologists are asked to perform such duties, which not only lead to conflicting roles but also to the development of conflicting relationships with the prison staff. Conflict of interests: Forensic psychologists often confront a conflict of interest.

According to research, it is pointed out that forensic psychologists are often reluctant to treat their immediate relatives because their interests do not coincide. They know very well the pros and cons of anticipated therapist-patient relationships, which is why they feel reluctant in treating their professional and personal contacts. Similarly, another important thing being pointed out is that while performing dual roles, often they tend to maintain confidentiality so that the rights of the patients are not violated, leading to the conflicting interests between a therapist (or evaluator) and a patient.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Career dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1415173-career-dilemma
(Career Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1415173-career-dilemma.
“Career Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1415173-career-dilemma.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Ethical Dilemma in Forensic Psychology

M.A. Forensic Psychology Comprehensive Examination

For the purposes of forensic psychology and corresponding treatment, it will be necessary to conduct a number of assessments on JR.... For the purposes of forensic psychology and corresponding treatment, it will be necessary to conduct a number of assessments on JR....
40 Pages (10000 words) Research Paper

Ethical Dilemmas in the Field of Forensic Psychology

This research paper ''Ethical Dilemmas in the Field of Forensic Psychology" discusses the ethical dilemmas in forensic psychology with respect to various areas like that of confidentiality, child abuse, relationship conflict and that of the personality disorder.... In the field of forensic psychology, a psychologist is guided by the Ethical Principles and a Code of Conduct which is published by the American Psychological Association.... The psychologists working directly with legal systems are directed by guidelines drawn up by the American Psychology-Law Society and the forensic psychology....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

Ethics and Accountability in Forensic Mental Health

The paper "Ethics and Accountability in forensic Mental Health" states that in Wayne's situation, the major ethical considerations are confidentiality, Wayne's rights as he was admitted to the hospital, his standard of care while he was there and his job that could possibly put others at risk....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

Forensics, Health And Ethics

There are ethnic guidelines in all fields, one should be fully aware of what is ethical and unethical or what can change a point of view.... The focus in this paper is on the field of health care.... ... ... ... In this paper, it is discussed that when a person departs this world, his physical body is left....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Forensic Psychology Ethical Codes and Guidelines

The paper "forensic psychology Ethical Codes and Guidelines" describes that Dr.... While making decisions regarding professional behavior, it is important that psychologists take into consideration various aspects like the ethics code while also not forgetting the applicable laws and psychology board regulations.... Jones, as the forensic psychiatrist, arrives at a conclusion that the detainee was appearing to be responding to auditory hallucinations at her initial meeting with him....
8 Pages (2000 words) Assignment

Ethical Dilemma in a Court Case

This paper ''ethical dilemma in a Court Case'' tells that the legal profession is faced with various challenges, which cuts across the individuals' expectations to be fulfilled by the law and issues relating to client representation.... Expectations by the law include the process of continuous education, registration issues....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Unethical Issues on the Law Enforcement System

Therefore, attainment of a clear understanding of the psychology that underlies unethical behavior is very important to all managers and supervisors that are concerned with law enforcement at all levels of an organization, without paying much attention to the mission or agency of a person (Heather & George, 2009).... n the consideration made to the nature of law enforcement and criminal justice, and specifically the policing done in the contemporary society, the behavior that is depicted by the officers of law enforcement is being targeted continually for ethical evaluation (Hess &Wrobleski, 2006)....
10 Pages (2500 words) Coursework

Incompatibility of Forensic and Therapeutic Roles

(Strasburger, Gutheil & Brodsky, 1997) As such, the main goal of forensic psychology is not to benefit a patient, but provide the legal case with information that would be helpful in resolving the issue.... The paper "Incompatibility of forensic and Therapeutic Roles" discusses that under different circumstances a specialist may face the need or requirement to overtake both roles at the same time, a sufficient amount of scientific literature provides a strong rationale for avoiding such endeavors....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us