ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS

What this is not…

• Teaching you ethics

• You determine your ethics

Why Ethics?

• 45% of employees have lied to their

supervisor
• 51% committed an unethical act at work
– Violated quality standards
– Lied to cover up a breach of quality
• 36% have lied on or falsified a report
• SHRM & Ethics Resource Center
 Ethical Foundations

• “Ethics is concerned with questions that

have no ultimate answers, yet are
important to planning one’s life, justifying
one’s activities and deciding what one
ought to do.”

Van Hoose, W.H., & Kottler, J.A. (1985). Ethical and legal issues in counseling and psychotherapy (2 nd ed.).
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Definition of Ethics (Webster)

• “The principles of conduct governing an

individual or profession”
 Ethical Principles
Beneficence

• Doing good for others

• Helping others
• Obligation to act in the interest of others
• Beneficence is the professional duty to do or produce
good. By "good" is meant the performance of acts of
kindness and charity. "Doing good" is considered
virtuous conduct.
 General Duty to Beneficence

• How significant is the need to be met?

• Am I particularly qualified to meet the
need?
• How likely is it that my action will achieve
success, i.e., a desired outcome?
• How much of a risk is it to me? Does the
potential benefit outweigh the risk to me?
 Ethical Principles
Nonmaleficence
• Prevent harm or risk of harm to clients (s)
• Includes misguidance, negligence, and
impact of stress/burnout
 Ethical Principle
Autonomy
• Self-rule or self-governance
• Free from the control of others
• Three conditions necessary
• Voluntary participation / no coercion
• Competence / can weigh risks and benefits
• Full disclosure of relevant information
 Ethical Principle
Justice
• Fairness in relation to distribution or
allocation of time, resources and services
• Equal Shares
• Need
• Motivation / Effort / Contribution
• Free-Market Exchange (supply and
demand)
• Fair Opportunity
 Ethical Principle

Fidelity
• Keeping promises or commitments
• Confidentiality
• Conflicts of Interest
 Professional Codes of Ethics

• General rule is to ethically act in

accordance with approved standards of
conduct and responsibility or according to
the respective ethical code of behavior
 So What!?
Why is this important, anyway?

• Many ethical dilemmas in criminal justice

• Complicated relationships in the field
• Requirement of professionalism
IACP Oath of Honor
• On my honor,
• I will never betray my badge,
• my integrity, my character,
• or the public trust.
• I will always have
• the courage to hold myself
• and others accountable for our actions.
• I will always uphold the constitution
• my community and the agency I serve.
 Mandatory vs. Aspirational
Ethics
• Mandatory ethics focus on compliance with the
law and the dictates of professional codes
• Professionals are concerned with remaining safe
from legal action or professional censure
• Aspirational ethics are a higher level of reflection
(sometimes referred to as virtue ethics)
• Professionals are concerned with the effects of
actions on clients or customers and the
profession as a whole
AREAS OF ETHICAL CONCERN FOR
DECISION MAKING
The three areas below are not “static.” They, at times overlap, at times are
mutually exclusive, and numerous varieties in between.

I. Codes of Ethics / Written Standards

II. Legal Requirements III. Virtues Ethics / Belief Systems

Characteristics of Ethical Dilemmas

• A choice must be made between two (or

more) courses of action
• Significant consequences for taking (or not
taking) any action
• Each action is supported by one or more
ethical principles
• Principles supporting the unselected
courses (s) of action will be compromised
• Fundamentally ethics is knowing what is
right and doing it.

• The heart has reasons that reason will

never know.
Pascal
Personal Values

• Core Contributors
– Age/era
– Location
– Socioeconomic
– Ethnicity
– Religion
– Family
Personal Values

• External Contributors
– Education
– Social Interaction
– Vocation
Professional Values

• Organizational
– Professional standards (SOP’s)
– Organizational ethics
• Governmental
– Equality for all
– Accountability
Equality
Hammer Model of Scientific
Misconduct
• Negligence
– Lack of Training
– Lack of Support
– Lack of Commitment
• Deliberate Dishonesty
– Begins with lack of commitment
– Money
– Notoriety - media
– Ends justify the means – I know he’s guilty
– Ego – I don’t make mistakes
D-O-O-R Model

• D – Determine
• O – Options
• O – Outcomes
• R - Recycle
DOOR Model of Decision Making

• D – Determine
– What is wrong?
– What’s the REAL issue for me?
– Is there a moral or ethical threat to me or
someone else?
– Would this be a problem if someone else was
involved?
DOOR Model

• Options
– What are some extreme choices?
– Am I considering several choices?
– What resources or help do I have available?
• Choose them wisely
DOOR Model

• Outcomes
– What could happen based on the Option I
choose?
– What could happen if I do nothing?
– Who will be affected by what I do?
– Is it the RIGHT thing to do?
DOOR Model

• Recycle
– After an option is chosen, return to see if the
original question is still valid
Scenario 1
• A police officer has a private arrangement with a
local body shop to refer the owners of cars
damaged in accidents to the shop. In exchange
for each referral, he receives a payment of 5%
of the repair bill from the shop owner.
• Verbal reprimand
• Written reprimand
• Suspended without pay
• Suspended with pay
• Dismissal
Scenario 2
• Two officers on foot patrol surprise a man breaking into
a car. The mans flees. They chase him for two blocks
and catch him by tackling him and wrestling him to the
ground. After he is handcuffed, both officers punch him
in the stomach several times for fleeing and resisting.
• Verbal reprimand
• Written reprimand
• Suspended without pay
• Suspended with pay
• Dismissal
Scenario 3
• A police officer finds a wallet in a parking lot. It
contains an amount of money equal to a full
day’s pay for that officer. He turns in the wallet
as lost property but keeps the money.
• Verbal reprimand
• Written reprimand
• Suspended without pay
• Suspended with pay
• Dismissal
Scenario 4
• An officer is working a concert at Cumberland County
Civic Center. While on patrol in the parking garage he
finds a concert ticket on the floor. A female sees him
pick the ticket up and offers him $50 for it. He takes the
money. She goes to the turnstile and is told the ticket is
fraudulent.
• Verbal reprimand
• Written reprimand
• Suspended without pay
• Suspended with pay
• Dismissal