SSW Ethical Practice 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A school social worker is asked by an administrator to write a report that exaggerates a student's disability to secure additional funding. The ethical response is to:
- Comply since the funding will benefit the student
- Refuse and explain that falsifying records violates professional ethics and law (Correct answer)
- Submit the report but note personal objection in private
- Consult the student's parents before deciding
Correct answer: Refuse and explain that falsifying records violates professional ethics and law
Falsifying professional records violates the NASW Code of Ethics, professional integrity standards, and potentially constitutes fraud.
Question 2: Cultural humility in school social work practice is best described as:
- Knowing all cultural practices of every student population
- An ongoing self-reflective process of recognizing one's own cultural biases and limitations (Correct answer)
- Avoiding cultural topics to prevent discomfort
- Treating all students identically regardless of background
Correct answer: An ongoing self-reflective process of recognizing one's own cultural biases and limitations
Cultural humility emphasizes lifelong learning and critical self-reflection about cultural assumptions rather than claiming complete cultural competence.
Question 3: Which of the following situations would most clearly require a school social worker to break confidentiality?
- A student discusses failing a math test
- A student reveals a specific plan to seriously harm a classmate (Correct answer)
- A student expresses general frustration with a teacher
- A student asks about college application resources
Correct answer: A student reveals a specific plan to seriously harm a classmate
A specific plan to harm an identified person creates a duty to protect that requires breaking confidentiality to warn and protect potential victims.
Question 4: The principle of 'nonmaleficence' obligates school social workers to:
- Actively promote student well-being
- Avoid causing harm through actions or inactions (Correct answer)
- Distribute resources fairly among all students
- Respect student self-determination
Correct answer: Avoid causing harm through actions or inactions
Nonmaleficence means 'do no harm' and requires practitioners to avoid interventions or actions that could damage client welfare.
Question 5: A school social worker learns during a session that a student's parent has been arrested. The student does not know. What is the most ethically appropriate first step?
- Immediately tell the student to prepare them
- Assess the student's safety, explore support needs, and consult with appropriate staff about next steps (Correct answer)
- Contact the arrested parent for permission to disclose
- Notify all school staff about the family situation
Correct answer: Assess the student's safety, explore support needs, and consult with appropriate staff about next steps
A thorough assessment of student safety and support needs, followed by consultation with appropriate colleagues, guides the appropriate ethical response.
Question 6: Social work's commitment to social justice in the school setting means the school social worker should:
- Avoid involvement in school policy discussions
- Advocate for equitable access to resources and challenge discriminatory practices affecting students (Correct answer)
- Focus exclusively on individual student counseling
- Defer social justice concerns to school administrators
Correct answer: Advocate for equitable access to resources and challenge discriminatory practices affecting students
Social justice is a core social work value requiring advocacy for equitable systems, policies, and resources that affect students and families.
Question 7: A parent requests access to notes a school social worker made during private therapy sessions with their child. Under FERPA, these records are:
- Always accessible to parents on demand
- Potentially exempt as 'sole possession records' if kept privately and not shared with others (Correct answer)
- Automatically shared with all school staff
- Only accessible by court order
Correct answer: Potentially exempt as 'sole possession records' if kept privately and not shared with others
Sole possession records—personal notes kept solely by the maker and not shared or accessible to others—may be exempt from FERPA's parent access provisions.
SSW Ethical Practice 4
A school social worker is asked by an administrator to write a report that exaggerates a student's disability to secure additional funding.
The ethical response is to: