The code of ethics for school psychologists is designed for the professionals so that they may deal with the public, keeping in view some set principles and rules. No matter what the circumstances, they must always follow this code. As a school psychologist, following the “APA Ethics Code” is essential.
School psychologists’ ethics and law might differ according to country or region. But a school psychologist needs to follow the standard code and ethical guidelines of the “National Association of School Psychologists.”
There have been several cases in which some professionals violated the principles and regulations of the code. A However, a few of them have also been banned from legal practice in educational or clinical settings only because of the violation of the principles.
So, you should be aware of the fact before you break any of these codes of ethics during your legal practice.
Psychology is one of these fields which have the power to access the various levels of the psyche of those individuals who are in some psychological trouble or under the spell of any disorder which comes to disturb their social and survival functions.
So, if you plan to become a school psychologist, you must always follow these rules.
Professionalism in School Psychologists:
Professionalism is the process by which an individual acquires the right to carry out some work or a particular kind of work, keeping in view several dimensions and adopting an objective approach. They are always concerned about the quality of the work and the element of competence, which are of great importance.
Furthermore, they also commit themselves to performing all tasks with a great deal of efficacy which is not to be found in immature workers.
The prime purpose of professionalism is promoting that work so that more and more people would get involved in it and that knowledge would be exchanged to the max.
I always follow the book titled “Ethics and Law for School Psychologists.” This book is an authoritative resource on the Code of Ethics in School Psychology. I am sharing its Amazon link, where they are giving 68% discounts. If you work professionally, you can keep this book with you. This book provides me with a lot of confidence to work with children’s behavior.
Privacy, Informed Consent, and Confidentiality are important Codes of Ethics for School Psychologists
1. Privacy
The term privacy encapsulates some complicated issues and laws, considering several codes of ethics and considerations in school psychology.
These laws are taken from case laws, statuary law, and several other dimensions that help remind the professional school psychologist about their work and the limits they should always remain.
Human beings have certain rights, especially privacy rights, which should be kept in mind at all times and under all circumstances.
Students and parents have private lives and problems, just like humanities. No matter how much worse the student’s condition might get, privacy should never be overrun by any psychologist.
Any unnecessary intrusion might result in some horrific consequences for both of them. Case law also makes the same assertions formulated after seeing several similar cases.
2. Informed consent
Informed consent involves informing the child’s parents about the intervention and the purpose of the treatment. In other words, before providing any treatment, all psychologists are bound to notify the parents or guardians of the child about what is to happen and what is to be done for the child’s cure.
Furthermore, it might also involve informing the student about the purpose of the study, which is their inborn right.
3. Confidentiality
The next in line is the element of confidentiality. It asserts that the information obtained from the students is to be kept secret and should not be provided to anyone except the school psychologist who has been authorized to access the student’s files.
These documents might be provided in case of legal issues, making the use of files inevitable.
The name of the participants should also not be disclosed to irrelevant people who have no business with the participant.
Other Considerations for Ethics in Psychology
The practice of school psychology is undoubtedly essential and determined by today’s public awareness. The prime reason for this is that most of these professionals’ activities circle around the public’s lives.
Their decisions affect people’s lives at all times and under all circumstances.
To develop the interest of the people for school psychologists, there are several things that these professionals must follow at all times. The first in line is the Code of Ethics and considerations in school psychology, which are extremely important here.
All of these professionals must consider the relevant ethical issues and dimensions. Unfortunately, in the past, several professionals used to carry out psychological experiments with minimum emphasis on moral issues.
For this purpose, they had to face a significant amount of criticism from the side of several intellectuals from various disciplines.
Quality control is the first and foremost thing that the school psychologist should follow. In addition, there are some professional codes of Ethics in School Psychology and principles that should be part of the practice of every school psychologist.
For example, the code states that the wellbeing of the children should never be compromised at any level, and all necessary arrangements should be made to keep the study results confidential.
How to alternatively termed?
In other words, the participant’s name should not be disclosed to people other than certified psychologists at any time or under any circumstances.
Furthermore, psychologists should always inform the participants about the purpose of the study for which the experiment has been made.
With these basics in mind, you should always prefer to read out the “code of ethics for school psychologists” and follow it in your professional practice as it all counts.
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