Case Study Analysis: Ethical Issues in Social Work Practice

This case study analyzes an ethical dilemma in social work practice, focusing on a young adult with autism. The student explores the conflict between the individual's desire for a normal life and societal limitations. The analysis utilizes utilitarian theory and a deontological framework to evaluate the actions of social workers and law enforcement. The study examines the application of the ACWA Code of Ethics, highlighting the responsibilities of social workers in informing disabled individuals of their rights. The conclusion supports the actions taken by the police and social workers as ethically sound, given the context of maximizing societal well-being and adhering to professional duties. The reference list includes relevant academic sources.

Running head-EHICAL DILEMMA IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH DISABLED PEOPLE
Ethical dilemma in Social work practice with Disabled People
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note
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1Case Study- Ethical dilemma in social work practice with Disabled people
The Case study chosen for the essay is Article 3, which states the ethical dilemma in
social work practice for Disabled people. The Ethical dilemma in the following case study
states the dilemma that arises due to the social service practice that the young adult with
autism was facing. The dilemma arises because the adult having autism wanted to lead a
normal life like all the other people of his age, but due to the difference in the part of the
acceptance of the society, the life that he was allowed was a restricted one (David Wilkins,
2012). The society provides various rights to such persons with disabilities in order to
safeguard their interests and provide them a normal life. However, the dilemma in the
situation is due to the application and the execution of the legal rights possessed by such a
person. The theory used in this case study to understand the dilemma is the Utilitarian theory,
and the framework is deontology and pragmatism. The primary aim of this study is to
understand the ethical dilemma of the given case study and provide an ethical theory and a
framework that is suitable in determining the right actions leading to the correct decisions.
Further, The ACWA Code of Ethics has been explained to showcase the connection of it with
the following case study.
Deontology is the right combination of practice that that depends upon the nature of
the duty behind the act and not upon its consequence. Deontology is generally used in ethical
values and beliefs that believe like the act and not on its consequences. The most distinctive
attribute of the moral perceptions relating to is that they outline the essential values of justice
—moreover, rights in terms additional than captivating the adequate incomes to encourage
extreme wellness (Heinzelmann, 2018). Accumulation to ethical commencements,
“deontology” is also castoff to denote to ethical philosophies, or ethical rules, at all stages of
simplification (May, 2014). These principles are essential to deontological origins; they
stipulate certain moral and ethical reason that are necessary actions and does not promote
wellness to the maximum. In simple words, deontology depends upon the moral and the
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2Case Study- Ethical dilemma in social work practice with Disabled people
ethical views focusing upon the rules for the prohibition of action. It depends upon the rules
in order to determine what actions are right and what actions are wrong. So, upon the
application of the theory upon this case from a deontological perspective, it was right to
pursue the action upon AB. One noteworthy variance amongst the social worker and parents
of AB was their opinion on the worth of daunting penalties on AB. AB’s parents were
unconcerned of police participation, quarreling that AB will not be able to comprehend the
social part of the police, so the involvement of the police officials might not be beneficial and
required for this case. It is argued that society has laid down specific rules and guidelines for
its conduct, so it is the societal problems that can be under control. So from that perspective,
it is necessary to follow the order that can only regulate society and bring wellness to the
people. In that scenario punishing the offender suffering from certain mental imbalance was
the right action despite the consequence that it may bring. So the action of the policemen
shall be pursued.
The utilitarian theory of ethics is based on the actions that would define what is right
and what is wrong. According to this theory, any action is morally acceptable is that they
produce maximum happiness without any suffering. Action is to be considered as morally
and ethically right if they generate maximum happiness and where they produce sadness and
bring sufferings such actions are considered as morally and ethically wrong (Mill, 2016). So
in simple terms, it is the understanding of the philosophy of what is wrong and what is right.
So anything that brings maximum happiness in the society is stated as right as it involves the
happiness of the greater no of people of the society. This theory depends upon the
consequences of an act in order to determine the good action or bad action of that decision.
Jeremy Bentham is the founder of this theory. This theory can be divided into two parts for a
better understanding. First, the value philosophy and second is the theory of right action. The
value theory states that the only thing that is considered treasured is happiness in the lack of
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3Case Study- Ethical dilemma in social work practice with Disabled people
misery, whereas the right is those actions that maximize the value (Kahane et al, 2018).
Hence combining the two theories, it can be understood that the act that brings maximum
happiness to the maximum people excluding the suffering will be considered as the right
action that is also ethically and morally right. This theory is universally acceptable, with a
shared value that is identified as happiness. So it is understood from the definition that it
focuses upon the total amount of the good that is produced by the action and not upon the
distribution. It established the ideologies of utility by describing it as a degree of maximizing
the profit and decreasing the pain.
Moreover when an act does profit the most number of people in society and
maximizes the profit, the condition will be estimated inside the view of the utilitarian theory.
It certainly stimulates to manner the act in all resources they want as per the action that hints
to an extreme quantity of benefit in the society. According to the case study looking for a
result of varying AB’s nature that is the means engaged in doing so is considered a lesser
amount of significant. Agreeing to the National Autistic Society, people with autism will
reply to constructive assistance for their nature more than that might bring undesirable values
for undesirable behavior. So as per the opinion of the parents of AB, the authority was wrong
in punishing AB as she had a disability, and according to the parents, it was against the moral
and ethical principles of any human being. The legislation system state that the criminal
justice system differs in punishment, where it is concerned with the punishments of a person
who is mentally challenged. So from that perspective, the legislations are made with a sense
of diminished responsibility.
Moreover the duty of the officers was to maintain law and order and the well being of
the society. So as per the offense done by AB and following the legislations, the step was
taken to punish AB based upon the utilitarian theory. As the main focus shall be maximizing
the value of the maximum people of the society, so in this case, AB was inflicting suffering
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4Case Study- Ethical dilemma in social work practice with Disabled people
to most of the people of the society. So, upon the application of this theory, the police officers
took the right step in punishing the offender.
The Code of Ethics is ethical conduct that is required by all the professional person in
their professional practice. It is stated as a benchmark that is to be followed by all the
community workers and the social workers that would help them in analyzing a situation or a
problem that will be morally and ethically right (Congress, 2017). It provides guidelines that
the professional agrees to its usage adhering to the code in every aspect of their professional
life. Hence, in the given case from the social worker, the Convention marks it evident that
managements have a responsibility to notify incapacitated people about their rights and
provide a guideline that they shall follow to attain them. Therefore, there was a breach of the
“General Social Care Council Code of Practice for Social Workers that they did not notify
AB about her rights (Board, 2014). It was the duty of the Social worker” to inform AB about
all her duties and the rights that she possessed and not just only to settle with the plan of the
parents about the care plan. However, AB’s parents and the community worker did not
distress the necessity to safeguard AB, but from their altered principled situations, they
procured diverse stands upon how far away it was essential or allowable in order to limit
AB’s authority in command to defend her. Somewhere it was visible that a susceptible
individual has been ill-treated, questioned as to the truths of the abuser are comparatively
insignificant, at minimum security of the susceptible individual is tenable. In the case study
provided, it is not much rich as to what privileges should take significance. Taking a flawless
and discrete principled place such as performing from a stern point that judgment upon the
consequences does not merely decide the quandary, as there may still outcome few which the
person finds for what is right.
In conclusion, it is understood that through the application of the utilitarian theory and
the deontological framework, the actions by the police officer and the social workers are
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5Case Study- Ethical dilemma in social work practice with Disabled people
considered right that was following the moral and the ethical principles and not against that.
So the decision of the police was intended to benefit the maximum people of the society, and
to bring maximum happiness is the right choice to be made despite the consequences
according to the utilitarian theory. Moreover, based upon the framework of deontology, the
actions of the police and the workers were also right as they were as per their duty to follow
the law and the guidelines. So their act was right. Hence the dilemma can be resolved through
the application of utilitarian theory and deontology. So the act of punishing AB was
following the view that maximizes wellness of the society.
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Reference
Board, B. A. C. (2014). Professional and ethical compliance code for behavior analysts.
Congress, E. P. (2017). What social workers should know about ethics: Understanding and
resolving practice dilemmas. Social work ethics, 1(1), 1909-35.
David Wilkins (2012) Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice with Disabled People:
Young Adults with Autism, Ethics and Social Welfare, 6:1, 97-105, DOI:
10.1080/17496535.2012.651892
Heinzelmann, N. (2018). Deontology defended. Synthese, 195(12), 5197-5216.
Kahane, G., Everett, J. A., Earp, B. D., Caviola, L., Faber, N. S., Crockett, M. J., &
Savulescu, J. (2018). Beyond sacrificial harm: A two-dimensional model of utilitarian
psychology. Psychological Review, 125(2), 131.
May, J. (2014). Moral judgment and deontology: Empirical developments. Philosophy
Compass, 9(11), 745-755.
Mill, J. S. (2016). Utilitarianism. In Seven masterpieces of philosophy (pp. 337-383).
Routledge.
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