Ethics
& Boundaries
Ethical
Standards
These standards are provided as a guideline for measuring and comparing concerns as they arise for advocates. It is recommended you use them in instances where you are not sure of the situation you are or may be in.
þ The highest level of ethics is required of all advocates.
þ Being an advocate for survivors of sexual assault involves trust. Any attempt to
realize personal gain through advocacy is inconsistent with the proper discharge of
the advocate’s duties with the program.
þ The following are general standards to follow. (Any other concerns not listed should
be discussed with your supervisor or the volunteer program director.)
These standards are provided as a guideline for measuring and comparing concerns as they arise for advocates. It is recommended you use them in instances where you are not sure of the situation you are or may be in.
þ The highest level of ethics is required of all advocates.
þ Being an advocate for survivors of sexual assault involves trust. Any attempt to
realize personal gain through advocacy is inconsistent with the proper discharge of
the advocate’s duties with the program.
þ The following are general standards to follow. (Any other concerns not listed should
be discussed with your supervisor or the volunteer program director.)
Ø
Do no
harm;
Ø Promote the good of the survivor;
Ø Be fair to all parties involved;
Ø Keep your word;
Ø Maintain confidentiality of survivor disclosures and records (unless disclosure is required by law);
Ø Foster and respect the survivor’s right to information and to make decisions based on the information (e.g. informed consent);
Ø Avoid conflicts of interest;
Ø Avoid dual roles in relation to the survivor or his/her family, and
Ø Represent accurately you own abilities, authority and power.
þ Advocates should seek the guidance and support of the volunteer director or
immediate supervisor (for staff members) in areas of ethical concerns.
An advocate must be capable of addressing the overall needs of a survivor as well as searching for and recognizing other underlying issues which may present themselves after a sexual assault or domestic violence incident.
Ø Promote the good of the survivor;
Ø Be fair to all parties involved;
Ø Keep your word;
Ø Maintain confidentiality of survivor disclosures and records (unless disclosure is required by law);
Ø Foster and respect the survivor’s right to information and to make decisions based on the information (e.g. informed consent);
Ø Avoid conflicts of interest;
Ø Avoid dual roles in relation to the survivor or his/her family, and
Ø Represent accurately you own abilities, authority and power.
þ Advocates should seek the guidance and support of the volunteer director or
immediate supervisor (for staff members) in areas of ethical concerns.
An advocate must be capable of addressing the overall needs of a survivor as well as searching for and recognizing other underlying issues which may present themselves after a sexual assault or domestic violence incident.
Volunteer vs. Professional
Family Violence and Sexual Assault programs have long valued the ability of volunteer advocates to provide crisis intervention, assistance and information to survivors of sexual assault and abuse. The family violence/rape crisis field originated as a “grass-roots” movement with the philosophy that a professional license or academic degree was not necessary to provide basic emotional support to survivors. Volunteers who were well trained and sensitive to the issues could provide excellent service to clients. Some volunteers are survivors of family violence or sexual assault and understand through personal experience the trauma of abuse, and want to assist others who have been similarly victimized.
Most advocates enter the field with similar selfless motives. It is easy for the advocate to believe that a genuine desire to be of service to others cannot possibly cause harm.. Yet, even an innocent breach of ethical behave or can do unintended damage to a survivor, causing the client to feel re-victimized or possibly impede the healing process and the criminal justice process.
DEFINITION
ethic: the discipline dealing with what is right and wrong and within moral duty and obligation; a set of moral principles or values; a theory or system of moral values; the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group
ethical: of or relating to ethics; conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct. (Taken from Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary; G. & C. Merriam Company; 1971)
THE IMPORTANCE OF BOUNDARIES
It is imperative that advocates who truly want to provide the best possible service to survivors be familiar with and conscientiously model good ethical behavior. Essential to the practice of ethical behavior is a recognition and understanding of basic boundary issues. Maintaining appropriate boundaries and consistently and steadfastly behaving within the limits of the advocate/survivor relationship are essential for the maintenance of the survivor’s trust and sense of safety. Often, survivors who are appreciative of the support of the advocate will want to extend the relationship beyond the advocate/survivor relationship into a friendship. It is the responsibility of the advocate to gently maintain appropriate limits on the relationship. This can be accomplished by encouraging the survivor to develop a personal support system outside of the domestic violence/rape crisis program. It is never appropriate to allow an advocate/survivor relationship to gradually blend into a friendship. Although it is sometimes difficult to recognize, there is a power differential between the survivor and advocate. No matter how caring or well intentioned the advocate, (s)he is still in the role of the “expert” or “provider” while the survivor is in the role of “recipient” or “consumer.” No matter how much it feels like a friendship between equals, it is inevitable that a survivor will rely on, lean on, or give more credibility to the feelings, behavior and values of the advocate. The survivor has already had a significant violation of boundaries occur during the victimization; it is crucial that the advocate not engage in any behavior that may even subtly blur the boundaries of the relationship with the survivor.
Consistently practicing ethical behavior requires vigilance. It requires that the advocate constantly monitor innuendos, suggestions, offers, opportunities, and all aspects of the relationship for signs that it is losing its professional focus.
Family Violence and Sexual Assault programs have long valued the ability of volunteer advocates to provide crisis intervention, assistance and information to survivors of sexual assault and abuse. The family violence/rape crisis field originated as a “grass-roots” movement with the philosophy that a professional license or academic degree was not necessary to provide basic emotional support to survivors. Volunteers who were well trained and sensitive to the issues could provide excellent service to clients. Some volunteers are survivors of family violence or sexual assault and understand through personal experience the trauma of abuse, and want to assist others who have been similarly victimized.
Most advocates enter the field with similar selfless motives. It is easy for the advocate to believe that a genuine desire to be of service to others cannot possibly cause harm.. Yet, even an innocent breach of ethical behave or can do unintended damage to a survivor, causing the client to feel re-victimized or possibly impede the healing process and the criminal justice process.
DEFINITION
ethic: the discipline dealing with what is right and wrong and within moral duty and obligation; a set of moral principles or values; a theory or system of moral values; the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group
ethical: of or relating to ethics; conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct. (Taken from Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary; G. & C. Merriam Company; 1971)
THE IMPORTANCE OF BOUNDARIES
It is imperative that advocates who truly want to provide the best possible service to survivors be familiar with and conscientiously model good ethical behavior. Essential to the practice of ethical behavior is a recognition and understanding of basic boundary issues. Maintaining appropriate boundaries and consistently and steadfastly behaving within the limits of the advocate/survivor relationship are essential for the maintenance of the survivor’s trust and sense of safety. Often, survivors who are appreciative of the support of the advocate will want to extend the relationship beyond the advocate/survivor relationship into a friendship. It is the responsibility of the advocate to gently maintain appropriate limits on the relationship. This can be accomplished by encouraging the survivor to develop a personal support system outside of the domestic violence/rape crisis program. It is never appropriate to allow an advocate/survivor relationship to gradually blend into a friendship. Although it is sometimes difficult to recognize, there is a power differential between the survivor and advocate. No matter how caring or well intentioned the advocate, (s)he is still in the role of the “expert” or “provider” while the survivor is in the role of “recipient” or “consumer.” No matter how much it feels like a friendship between equals, it is inevitable that a survivor will rely on, lean on, or give more credibility to the feelings, behavior and values of the advocate. The survivor has already had a significant violation of boundaries occur during the victimization; it is crucial that the advocate not engage in any behavior that may even subtly blur the boundaries of the relationship with the survivor.
Consistently practicing ethical behavior requires vigilance. It requires that the advocate constantly monitor innuendos, suggestions, offers, opportunities, and all aspects of the relationship for signs that it is losing its professional focus.
Innocent, but potentially damaging ethical violations might occur when/if:
þ The survivor asks for the advocate’s home phone number - or the advocate
provides it.
þ The survivor asks for personal information about the advocate - or the advocate
volunteers it.
þ The survivor offers the advocate goods or services, such as a discount at a survivor-
owned business, or coupons for a dinner or similar entertainment to express
appreciation for services rendered.
þ The survivor or advocate extends an invitation to lunch, dinner, coffee, or
occasions which are purely social in nature.
þ The advocate volunteer’s specifics of his/her own history of abuse.
þ The advocate shares his/her own feelings about the insensitivity of the police, the
callousness of the hospital staff, or the frustration of working within a bureaucratic
system.
þ The advocate begins to support a course of action, which he/she believes is in the
survivor’s best interest rather than allowing the survivor to make his/her own
choices.
þ The survivor asks for the advocate’s home phone number - or the advocate
provides it.
þ The survivor asks for personal information about the advocate - or the advocate
volunteers it.
þ The survivor offers the advocate goods or services, such as a discount at a survivor-
owned business, or coupons for a dinner or similar entertainment to express
appreciation for services rendered.
þ The survivor or advocate extends an invitation to lunch, dinner, coffee, or
occasions which are purely social in nature.
þ The advocate volunteer’s specifics of his/her own history of abuse.
þ The advocate shares his/her own feelings about the insensitivity of the police, the
callousness of the hospital staff, or the frustration of working within a bureaucratic
system.
þ The advocate begins to support a course of action, which he/she believes is in the
survivor’s best interest rather than allowing the survivor to make his/her own
choices.
Just as it is a principle
of victim advocacy that the perpetrator is always responsible for the assault
and the survivor is never responsible for being raped, so is it a principle
that the advocate is always responsible for maintaining appropriate
advocate/survivor boundaries. The client is not responsible for monitoring the
relationship to determine when boundaries are being crossed.
BASIC ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
It is a given of sexual assault/family violence work that survivors are entitled to knowledgeable assistance, privacy and respect. Every survivor has the right to self-determination. Self-determination is being allowed to make one’s own choices without criticism, opposition or judgment. This does not mean that the advocate validates every choice a survivor makes, but that the advocate consistently supports the survivor’s right to make her own choices. The advocate can serve the survivor best by objectively encouraging the survivor to explore all of the potential consequences of any decision, both positive and negative.
Fairness and flexibility are hallmarks of ethical and effective advocacy. Fairness includes providing the same excellent service to all survivors regardless of age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or lifestyle. It means apprising the survivor of all the options available to him/her rather than just those that the advocate favors. Flexibility calls for the advocate to recognize when a particular approach is not helpful to a survivor and to be willing and able to modify it as needed.
An ethical advocate will always honor the survivor’s right to informed consent. Informed consent is the duty and responsibility of the advocate to provide the appropriate, timely and accurate information that the client needs to make informed choices and decisions. Survivors’ right to informed choices and the limits of confidentiality will be discussed in greater detail in the Peer Counseling section of training.
THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING ONE’S OWN WORK TOWARD HEALING
No matter how passionate an advocate may feel about eliminating sexual violence, or how committed he/she may be to supporting survivors, if the advocate is a survivor of any kind of trauma - childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, or other - it is a grave disservice to the survivor if the advocate accepts the role without having first completed his/her own healing. If the advocate still has unresolved issues related to his/her family of origin, history of abuse or victimization, it is inevitable that those feelings will seep into the survivor/advocate relationship.
BASIC ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
It is a given of sexual assault/family violence work that survivors are entitled to knowledgeable assistance, privacy and respect. Every survivor has the right to self-determination. Self-determination is being allowed to make one’s own choices without criticism, opposition or judgment. This does not mean that the advocate validates every choice a survivor makes, but that the advocate consistently supports the survivor’s right to make her own choices. The advocate can serve the survivor best by objectively encouraging the survivor to explore all of the potential consequences of any decision, both positive and negative.
Fairness and flexibility are hallmarks of ethical and effective advocacy. Fairness includes providing the same excellent service to all survivors regardless of age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or lifestyle. It means apprising the survivor of all the options available to him/her rather than just those that the advocate favors. Flexibility calls for the advocate to recognize when a particular approach is not helpful to a survivor and to be willing and able to modify it as needed.
An ethical advocate will always honor the survivor’s right to informed consent. Informed consent is the duty and responsibility of the advocate to provide the appropriate, timely and accurate information that the client needs to make informed choices and decisions. Survivors’ right to informed choices and the limits of confidentiality will be discussed in greater detail in the Peer Counseling section of training.
THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING ONE’S OWN WORK TOWARD HEALING
No matter how passionate an advocate may feel about eliminating sexual violence, or how committed he/she may be to supporting survivors, if the advocate is a survivor of any kind of trauma - childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, or other - it is a grave disservice to the survivor if the advocate accepts the role without having first completed his/her own healing. If the advocate still has unresolved issues related to his/her family of origin, history of abuse or victimization, it is inevitable that those feelings will seep into the survivor/advocate relationship.
Signs that an advocate may
have unresolved issues that should be addressed include:
þ Encouraging a survivor to express anger that he/she has not yet begun to feel.
þ Being critical of the survivor’s friends, partner or family for not being supportive or
sensitive enough.
þ Focusing so much on the survivor’s needs/problems that one’s own emotional
needs become secondary or unimportant.
þ Becoming angry, tearful, sad or frustrated with a survivor when he/she does
not respond as the advocate expects.
þ Gossiping about the survivor within the agency or repeating confidential
information to one’s family, friends or coworkers.
þ Encouraging a survivor to express anger that he/she has not yet begun to feel.
þ Being critical of the survivor’s friends, partner or family for not being supportive or
sensitive enough.
þ Focusing so much on the survivor’s needs/problems that one’s own emotional
needs become secondary or unimportant.
þ Becoming angry, tearful, sad or frustrated with a survivor when he/she does
not respond as the advocate expects.
þ Gossiping about the survivor within the agency or repeating confidential
information to one’s family, friends or coworkers.
Serving as a volunteer advocate is a demanding
and challenging role. The advocate will
regularly be exposed to evidence of humankind’s inhumanity, stories of unspeakable
sadness, and scenes of unmitigated injury. It is impossible to continue to be sensitive,
giving and appropriately responsive if all of one’s energy and attention is flowing
outward and no compensatory positive energy and attention is flowing in. The most
precious gift an advocate can offer a survivor is a model of a full, healthy, balanced life
that gives but also knows how to receive. This provides powerful evidence to the
survivor that there is hope for recovery, that good does prevail and that life in all its
fullness does go on.
Ethics/Boundaries Training Section taken from the SEXUAL ASSAULT ADVOCATE TRAINING
MANUAL – TEXAS OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
regularly be exposed to evidence of humankind’s inhumanity, stories of unspeakable
sadness, and scenes of unmitigated injury. It is impossible to continue to be sensitive,
giving and appropriately responsive if all of one’s energy and attention is flowing
outward and no compensatory positive energy and attention is flowing in. The most
precious gift an advocate can offer a survivor is a model of a full, healthy, balanced life
that gives but also knows how to receive. This provides powerful evidence to the
survivor that there is hope for recovery, that good does prevail and that life in all its
fullness does go on.
Ethics/Boundaries Training Section taken from the SEXUAL ASSAULT ADVOCATE TRAINING
MANUAL – TEXAS OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL