Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T06:29:00.578Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Breaching confidentiality to report students’ risk-taking behaviours to school administrators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2019

Rahsan Sivis-Cetinkaya
Rahsan Sivis-Cetinkaya*
Affiliation:
Guidance & Counselling Department, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
Get access

Abstract

This study examined Turkish school counsellors’ (SCs) ratings of the importance of factors in deciding to report students’ risk-taking behaviours to school administrators (SAs). A sample of Turkish SCs (N = 252) were surveyed. Most and least important factors were determined. Group differences in terms of gender, school level of employment, and attending mandatory counselling ethics training were investigated. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests were used in group comparisons. ‘Protecting the student’ was rated as the most important factor, and ‘Gender of the student’ was the least important factor. Statistically significant group differences with respect to gender, school level of employment, and attending mandatory counselling ethics training were identified. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Keywords

confidentialitystudents’ risk-taking behavioursschool administratorsschool counsellorsschool counselling ethics
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , December 2020 , pp. 216 - 226
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Counseling Association (ACA). (2014). ACA Code of ethics. Alexandria, VA: ACA. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf Google Scholar
American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (2016). ASCA Ethical standards for school counselors. Alexandria, VA: ASCA. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf Google Scholar
Atanasov, K.G. (2016). A phenomenological study of the lived experiences of high school counselors involved in determining serious and foreseeable harm in cases of student substance abuse (Unpublished dissertation). College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA. doi: 10.21220/W49G67 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Australian Association of Counselling (AAC). (2013). Code of ethics and practice. Retrieved from https://www.theaca.net.au/documents/ACA%20Code%20of%20Ethics%20and%20Practice%20Ver15.pdf Google Scholar
Bodenhorn, N. (2006). Exploratory study of common and challenging ethical dilemmas experienced by professional school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 10, 195–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonino, S., Cattelino, E., & Ciairano, S. (2005). Adolescents and risk. Milan, Italy: Springer.Google Scholar
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). (2018). Ethical framework. Retrieved from https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-standards/ethical-framework-for-the-counselling-professions/ Google Scholar
Crepeau-Hobson, F. (2013). An exploratory study of suicide risk assessment processes in the school settings. Psychology in the Schools, 50, 810–822.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, M. (2004). What to do? An exploration of ethical issues for principals and school counselors. Principia: Journal of Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association, 1, 7–9. Retrieved from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/archive/00004336 Google Scholar
Campbell, M. (2005). Cyber bullying: An old problem in a new guise? Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 15, 68–76.Google Scholar
Carroll, A., Ashman, A., Bower, J., & Hemingway, F. (2013). Readiness for change: Case studies of young people with challenging and risky behaviours. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 23, 49–71.Google Scholar
Corder, G.W., & Foreman, D.I. (2014). Nonparametric statistics for non-statisticians: A step-by-step approach. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.Google Scholar
Dougherty, A.M. (2013). Casebook of psychological consultation and collaboration in school and community settings (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.Google Scholar
Dunklee, D.R., & Shoop, R.J. (2006). The principal’s quick reference guide to school law: Reducing liability, litigation, and other potential legal tangles (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.Google Scholar
Epstein, J., Santo, R.M., & Guillemin, F. (2015). A review of guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of questionnaires could not bring out a consensus. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 68, 435–441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Field, A. (2017). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Gibson, W.T., & Pope, K.S. (1993). The ethics of counseling: A national survey of certified counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 71, 330–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Har, N.Y., & Jusoh, A.J. (2015). View on counselling ethics among school counsellors in Malaysia. The Online Journal of Counselling and Education, 4, 35–47.Google Scholar
Jenkins, P., & Palmer, J. (2012). ‘At risk of harm?’ An exploratory survey of school counsellors in the UK, their perceptions of confidentiality, information sharing and risk management. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 40, 545–559. doi: 10.1080/03069885.2012.718732 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kimber, M., & Campbell, M. (2014). Exploring ethical dilemmas for principals arising from role conflict with school counsellors. Educational Management Administration Leadership, 42, 209–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koocher, G.P. (2008). Ethical challenges in mental health services to children and families. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64, 601–612.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lehr, R., Lehr, A., & Sumarah, J. (2007). Confidentiality and informed consent: School counsellors’ perceptions of ethical practices. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 41, 16–30.Google Scholar
Lazovsky, R. (2008). Maintaining confidentiality with minors: Dilemmas of school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 11, 335–346.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luxmoore, N. (2014). School counsellors working with young people and staff: A whole school approach. Philadelpia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Google Scholar
Ministry of National Education. (2007). Ortaöğretim kurumları ödül ve disiplin yönetmeliği [Disciplinary regulations for high-school students]. Retrieved from http://mebk12.meb.gov.tr/meb_iys_dosyalar/02/06/972735/dosyalar/2015_03/21104702_08023339_odulvedisiplinyonetmeligi.pdf Google Scholar
Ministry of National Education. (2014). Okul öncesi eğitim ve ilköğretim kurumları yönetmeliği [Regulations for primary and elementary education institutions]. Retrieved from http://mevzuat.meb.gov.tr/dosyalar/1703.pdf Google Scholar
Ministry of National Education. (2018). Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı Okul Güvenliği Genelgesi [Ministry of National Education School Safety Regulations]. Retrieved from http://mevzuat.meb.gov.tr/dosyalar/1935.pdf Google Scholar
Mohler, P., Dorer, B, Jong, J.D., & Hu, M. (2016) Translation: Overview. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Institute for Social Research Survey Research Center. Retrieved from http://ccsg.isr.umich.edu/images/PDFs/CCSG_Translation_Chapters.pdf Google Scholar
Moyer, M.S., Sullivan, J.R., & Growcock, D. (2012). When is it ethical to inform administrators about student risk-taking behaviors?: Perceptions of school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 15, 98–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neukrug, E.S., & Milliken, T. (2011). Counselors’ perceptions of ethical behaviors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 89, 206–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nigro, T., & Uhlemann, M. (2004). Dual relationships in counselling: A survey of British Columbian counsellors. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 38, 36–53.Google Scholar
Nusbaum, E.M. (2015). Categorical and nonparametric data analysis (3rd ed.) New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
O’Connell, W.P. (2012). Secondary school administrators’ attitudes toward confidentiality in school counseling. NASSP Bulletin, 96, 350–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Privitera, G.J. (2014). Research methods for the behavioral sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Rae, W.A., Sullivan, J.R., Razo, N.P., & Alba, R.G. (2009). Breaking confidentiality to report adolescent risk-taking behaviors by school psychologists. Ethics & Behavior, 19, 449–460.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roever, C., & Phakiti, A. (2018). Quantitative methods for second language research: A problem-solving. New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Romer, D. (2003). Reducing adolescent risk: Toward an integrated approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Schellenberg, R. (2008). The new school counselor. Strategies for universal academic achievement. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.Google Scholar
Sivis-Cetinkaya, R. (2015). Ethical judgments of counselors: Results from a Turkish sample. Ethics & Behavior, 25, 400–417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sivis-Cetinkaya, R. (2018). Confidentiality of adolescent risk-taking behaviors: A survey of Turkish school counselors. Ethics & Behavior, 29, 459–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steinberg, L.D. (2014). Age of opportunity: Lessons from the new science of adolescence. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Sullivan, J.R., & Moyer, M.S. (2008). Factors influencing the decision to break confidentiality with adolescent students: A survey of school counselors. Journal of School Counseling, 6, 1–26. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.montana.edu/articles/v6n24.pdf Google Scholar
Stone, C., & Isaacs, M.L. (2002). Involving students in violence prevention: Anonymous reporting and the need to promote and protect confidences. NASSP Bulletin, 86, 54–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Studer, J.R. (2015). A guide to practicum and internship for school counselors-in-training (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
Turkish Criminal Law. (2004). Türk Ceza Kanunu [Turkish Criminal Law]. Retrieved from http://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.5237.pdf Google Scholar
Turkish Guidance and Counselling Association (TGCA). (2019). Dernek tarihçesi [Association’s history]. Retrieved from http://www.pdr.org.tr/Pages/41/222/T&rk-PDR-Der%27in-Tarihçesi Google Scholar
Turkish Guidance and Counselling Association (TGCA). (2013). Dernek yıllık beyannamesi [Annual declaration of the association]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.Google Scholar
Turkish Guidance and Counselling Association (TGCA). (2006). Psikolojik danışma ve rehberlik alanında çalışanlar için etik kurallar [Code of ethics for those working in the field of guidance and counselling]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.Google Scholar
Walcott, C.M., Meyers, A.B., & Landau, S. (2008). Adolescent sex risk behavior and school-based sexually transmitted infection/HIV prevention. Psychology in the Schools, 45, 39–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolverton, S., Dombrosky, J., & Lyman, R.L. (2016). Practical significance: Ordinal scale data and effect size in zooarchaeology. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 26, 255–265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar