PSY 624 PSY624 PSY 624 5.2_Final Project Milestone Two_Draft of Legal and Ethical Cons..docx- Snhu

5-2 Final Project Milestone Two: Draft of Legal and Ethical Considerations

Yadav (2017) acknowledges that forensic psychologists aid law enforcement and court

personnel (e.g. judges and juries) to reach justice by providing empirically supported results and

conclusions; hence they work in labs associated with law enforcement and/or government

agencies that adhere to specifically developed ethical codes pertaining to their field. Although

APA implements a general code of ethics for the psychology field, ethical concerns may still

arise relating violent offenders, non-violent offender and trauma victims.

PSY 624 PSY624 PSY 624 5.2_Final Project Milestone Two_Draft of Legal and Ethical Cons..docx- Snhu

APA

(2011)

recognizes that forensic professionals are obligated to maintain

confidentiality of information relating to offenders and trauma victims. Concerns for violent or

non-violent offender’s confidentiality arise as “privacy is much more difficult to ensure within a

correctional setting”; in a prison or jail, inmates are usually under supervision or vigilance at all

hours (Gostin, Vanchieri, & Pope, 2007). Gostin and colleagues (2007) give the example of

having inmates being moved or placed, and people (i.e. staff and other prisoners) speculate what

the move means.

PSY 624 PSY624 PSY 624 5.2_Final Project Milestone Two_Draft of Legal and Ethical Cons..docx- Snhu

Similarly, the understanding of the limitations of confidentiality is compromised for

trauma victims as well. The difference between confidentiality between offenders and victims

lies on the immediacy and severity of repercussions. Unlike offender’s, a breach in

confidentiality for victims has great impact on their future. In the instance of domestic violence,

Durborow, Lizdas, O’ Flaherty, & Marjavi (2010) exemplify the concerns of state mandatory

reporting laws for child or adult abuse as many times it delays or prevents victims from seeking

help. “If an abused spouse seeks counseling and that counselor is mandated to report the abuse,

the therapeutic relationship is potentially jeopardized, and the client may be placed in increased

danger for escalated abuse” (Durborow, Lizdas, O’ Flaherty, & Marjavi, 2010, p.4.

PSY 624 PSY624 PSY 624 5.2_Final Project Milestone Two_Draft of Legal and Ethical Cons..docx- Snhu

• PSY 211 – Lifespan Development (5015 Documents),
• PSY 215 – Abnormal Psychology (4335 Documents),
• PSY 108 – Introduction to Psychology (3759 Documents),
• PSY 223 – Statistics for Psychology Research (2652 Documents),
• PSY 216 – Psychology of Personality (1841 Documents),
• PSY 510 – Research Methods (1748 Documents),
• PSY 520 – Research Methods in Psychology II (1469 Documents),
• PSY 257 – Psychology (1451 Documents),
• PSY 310 – Criminal Psychology (1393 Documents),
• PSY 200 – FOUNDATIONS OF ADDICTIONS (1379 Documents),