Social Work Ethics & Professional Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes 'vicarious trauma' in social work?
- Direct trauma experienced by the social worker
- Emotional impact from indirect exposure to clients' traumatic experiences (Correct answer)
- Physical injury sustained at work
- Burnout from administrative tasks
Correct answer: Emotional impact from indirect exposure to clients' traumatic experiences
Vicarious trauma (also called secondary traumatic stress) refers to the psychological impact on practitioners resulting from indirect exposure to clients' traumatic material.
Question 2: According to NASW ethical standards, sexual relationships with former clients are:
- Permitted after two years
- Always prohibited (Correct answer)
- Permitted with supervisor approval
- Determined case-by-case
Correct answer: Always prohibited
The NASW Code of Ethics prohibits sexual activities or romantic relationships with former clients due to the potential for exploitation of the therapeutic relationship.
Question 3: Cultural competence in social work practice requires the social worker to:
- Treat all clients identically regardless of background
- Develop awareness, knowledge, and skills to work effectively with diverse populations (Correct answer)
- Avoid discussing cultural differences
- Focus only on legal and medical needs
Correct answer: Develop awareness, knowledge, and skills to work effectively with diverse populations
Cultural competence requires ongoing self-reflection, knowledge of diverse cultures, and skills to adapt practice to meet clients' cultural contexts.
Question 4: Which term describes the practice of using evidence-based interventions while also considering client values and practitioner expertise?
- Intuition-based practice
- Evidence-based practice (EBP) (Correct answer)
- Theoretical practice
- Purely empirical practice
Correct answer: Evidence-based practice (EBP)
Evidence-based practice integrates the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and client values to guide decision-making.
Question 5: A social worker who accepts expensive gifts from a client is most likely violating which ethical principle?
- Self-determination
- Professional boundaries and conflicts of interest (Correct answer)
- Duty to warn
- Mandatory reporting
Correct answer: Professional boundaries and conflicts of interest
Accepting expensive gifts blurs professional boundaries, creates a potential conflict of interest, and can compromise the therapeutic relationship.
Question 6: When a social worker disagrees with an agency policy that appears to harm clients, the NASW Code of Ethics recommends:
- Immediately resigning from the position
- Working to change the policy through legitimate means (Correct answer)
- Ignoring the policy and acting independently
- Reporting the agency to law enforcement
Correct answer: Working to change the policy through legitimate means
The Code encourages social workers to challenge unjust policies through proper channels—advocacy, supervision, and organizational processes.
Social Work Ethics & Professional Standards 2
Which of the following best describes 'vicarious trauma' in social work?