Social Work and Multicultural Counseling

Professional Social Worker: Ethical Dilemma

Case Context

One difficult situation arises when dealing with a situation which challenges the social worker’s belief in elevating each and every single client to her fullest potential. In one particular instance, a woman from a very conservative Muslim family who had emigrated to the United States when she was a teenager approached the social worker for assistance with her fifteen-year-old daughter. Her daughter was no longer covering her hair, had gone to Planned Parenthood to obtain birth control to have sex with her boyfriend, and was also cutting school occasionally and not doing her homework at home (although the daughter did manage to complete it at school, most days). On one hand, the social worker must take into consideration that the girl is a minor and may be putting herself at risk in the above-cited scenario. On the other hand, the girl is also engaging in normal teenage acting out to some degree, and although her grades were poorer, she was not in danger of failing school, nor was she abusing drugs or getting involved in risky activities.

The mother was concerned because the girl was engaged in behavior that would not have been normal in the family’s original social environment, and because the mother was deeply religious. She also feared the father’s (her husband’s) reaction. The family was low-income and had initially sought assistance from the social worker for financial reasons after the mother lost her part-time job at a grocery store due to downsizing, and had maintained a relationship with the social worker to seek out counseling for her depression and other issues. She often spoke about her daughter to the social worker.

The social worker might know that the parents showed no evidence of abuse, but there were still difficulties given the economic pressures the family was experiencing, the conflict of social and religious values, and the desire of the daughter to assimilate and the parents’ belief structures. The social worker has a responsibility to the client, but also an obligation to protect and support minors. As a social worker, I would have to be highly self-conscious of my own biases in such an instance, given that I would naturally be inclined to support the girl’s rebellion as normal, given my own upbringing (Hepworth, et al., 2017). However, it is important to remember that the mother, not the girl was my client, although I have an obligation to behave ethically towards all members of the family as a social worker, particularly since the girl was a minor.

Analysis and Problem

According to the NASW Code of Ethics: “Social workers should obtain education about and demonstrate understanding of the nature of social diversity and oppression,” including religion and gender (1.05.d). Although I may need to explain to the mother that I cannot compel her daughter to obey her and forgo having a boyfriend (so long as the girl does not disobey existing laws about truancy, put herself at risk, runaway, or break parental curfews), I must also weigh the pros and cons with the mother of taking a heavy disciplinary hand. In this instance, regarding the mother’s desire to place more restrictions upon her daughter, with the threat of forcing the girl to go live with her even more strict grandparents, where the girl will not be able to see her boyfriend.

Although the mother may have a legal right to do so, helping the mother understand why this might not be a wise decision, relative to the risk the boyfriend poses to the girl, or the girl’s current performance in school, might be one of my duties in the counseling capacity of social work. As a social worker, I would have a legal right to ensure that the minor daughter was not placed in a risky situation. On the other hand, I would also have to ensure confidentiality restrictions which might pertain to the daughter—for example, I might not be privy to her daughter’s school records, and even if the mother might wish to show them to me, ethically (versus legally), I would have to discuss with the mother the cost-benefit analysis, emotionally, of violating the daughter’s confidence. I would also strive to be sensitive to the mother’s economic concerns which were coming to the forefront. As noted, before, one of the reasons the mother first sought consultation was for the family’s economic challenges, so concerns about her daughter being unable to get into a good college (an idea which she strongly supported), were at the forefront of her mind.

In instances where the social worker may feel pressured to take sides in a family conflict, sometimes having an outside arbitrator with no previous personal relationship with either client can be helpful, to avoid the concern that adults might be appearing to pressure the adolescent daughter. Sometimes bringing other individuals into the conversation, such as teachers or community workers, or members of a faith community, can be useful, provided that all parties involves believe this is a fair and useful approach: “part of the meeting allows for the parents and their support network – extended family members, friends, and other supportive people such as neighbours and church members – to meet privately without the social worker or facilitator to discuss a safety plan” (“An Interview,” 2004, p.42). Hepworth (et al., 2017) notes the importance of affirming client resilience, even in the face of difficulties. Although it can be tempting to try to fix things, instead, in this instance, providing the conditions to enable the family to engage in more positive dialogue might be more useful.

Creating a supportive team so parents and child could ensure that the child was safe, yet had a sense of autonomy and felt as if she was not unduly restrictive relative to her friends, and also reducing the stressors upon the family (economic) that were contributing to their reactions to their child’s adolescent acting-out would be critical. Various support groups for Muslim families navigating adolescence, or families of adolescents in general, might be useful. Once again, given that the mother was the client who initiated contact, an impression of taking the mother’s side must be avoided, while still evaluating the child’s behavior for its safety with an objective eye, while still allowing parents the autonomy to parent.

Conclusion

The best course of action would be to send mother and daughter (and father, if willing) for a short session of individualized therapy with a counselor with a specialty in adolescent psychology, preferably one with experience counseling Muslim families. Multicultural sensitivity is critical, as is not judging the family for the values they uphold regarding their child’s upbringing. It is also, of course, important not to judge the child, either. Given the child is not at immediate risk in terms of legal requirements for reporting frequent truant or risky behavior, autonomy must be respected regarding all family member’s decision-making. The guidance counselor at the school may also be consulted, regarding the child’s grades and school performance. Then, appropriate group therapy may be identified for one or more family members, if access to individual therapy is restricted by time or insurance coverage limitations.