CTC Ethical Considerations in Childhood Trauma 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A trauma consultant learns their client's parent is sharing session details on social media without the child's knowledge. What is the most appropriate first step?
- Immediately terminate services
- Address confidentiality boundaries with the parent and document the conversation (Correct answer)
- Report the parent to child protective services
- Ignore the situation as social media is outside the clinical scope
Correct answer: Address confidentiality boundaries with the parent and document the conversation
Addressing confidentiality boundaries directly with the parent and documenting the discussion upholds ethical obligations while preserving the therapeutic relationship.
Question 2: Which ethical principle is MOST at risk when a clinician uses trauma screening tools not validated for a child's cultural background?
- Autonomy
- Beneficence
- Non-maleficence
- Justice (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Justice
Justice requires equitable, culturally appropriate care; using non-validated tools for specific populations violates this principle by producing biased assessments.
Question 3: A 10-year-old discloses abuse but begs the clinician not to tell anyone. The clinician's mandatory reporting duty:
- Can be waived if the child is deemed mature enough to decide
- Overrides the child's request because it is legally and ethically required (Correct answer)
- Applies only if there is corroborating physical evidence
- Is optional when the abuser is no longer in the home
Correct answer: Overrides the child's request because it is legally and ethically required
Mandatory reporting laws supersede a child's request for confidentiality when abuse is suspected or disclosed.
Question 4: When a trauma consultant realizes they are experiencing secondary traumatic stress, the most ethical action is to:
- Continue working and monitor symptoms privately
- Seek supervision or personal support to ensure client care is not compromised (Correct answer)
- Transfer all trauma cases to colleagues immediately
- Disclose their stress to clients to normalize trauma reactions
Correct answer: Seek supervision or personal support to ensure client care is not compromised
Seeking supervision or support protects client welfare and reflects the ethical duty of self-care required for competent practice.
Question 5: Dual relationships in childhood trauma work are ethically problematic primarily because they:
- Reduce billable hours
- Create potential conflicts of interest that can harm the child client (Correct answer)
- Violate HIPAA regulations directly
- Are prohibited only in rural settings
Correct answer: Create potential conflicts of interest that can harm the child client
Dual relationships create conflicts of interest that can compromise the consultant's objectivity and potentially harm the vulnerable child client.
Question 6: Informed assent from a child in trauma treatment means the clinician has:
- Obtained legal consent from the child instead of the guardian
- Explained the treatment process in age-appropriate language and received the child's agreement to participate (Correct answer)
- Skipped parental consent because the child agreed
- Documented that the child signed a formal legal document
Correct answer: Explained the treatment process in age-appropriate language and received the child's agreement to participate
Informed assent involves explaining treatment in developmentally appropriate terms and gaining the child's willing agreement, alongside parental/guardian legal consent.
Question 7: A foster parent requests full access to all session notes for a child in trauma therapy. The clinician should:
- Provide all notes immediately, as foster parents have full parental rights
- Review legal custodial arrangements and share only information appropriate to the foster parent's legal role (Correct answer)
- Deny all access regardless of custodial status
- Ask the child's permission before releasing any information to the foster parent
Correct answer: Review legal custodial arrangements and share only information appropriate to the foster parent's legal role
The clinician must verify the foster parent's legal rights and share information accordingly, as custodial arrangements vary and affect confidentiality obligations.
CTC Ethical Considerations in Childhood Trauma 2
A trauma consultant learns their client's parent is sharing session details on social media without the child's knowledge.
What is the most appropriate first step?