NASW Ethical Code: Evolution and Gaps

Ethical Code of NASW: Evolution and Gaps
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NASW Ethical Code: Evolution and Gaps
Nearly all professions in the world are guided by certain documented guidelines and standards. These guidelines occasionally cover areas beyond the normal work procedures, extending into the specific ethical codes. Social work has its set of principles which are designed with the sole purpose of guiding its professionals to uphold integrity when discharging their roles. The ethical code for NASW (National Association of Social Workers) outlines the values and principles which dictate ways of approaching various problems. Despite having had a tremendous evolution to mend specific gaps, there still exist certain gaps that need to require an address.
The facts that the current 27-page page document is the third version since its creation in 1955, and was just one page long in the late 1970s, are proofs of the NASW’s evolution. Certainly, the changes were informed by the specific gaps that it presented which were critical to social work professionals. For example, historical literature by Ming-ming (2017) narrates that the initial concentration was on the clients’ morality rather than the practitioners’ moral fiber. Consequently, the maturity of social work saw practitioners and scholars starting to author documentaries on core values like client dignity, confidentiality, and self-determination, among others. Between the 1960s and early 1970s, there emerged complexities surrounding the contemporary controversies and social work values that touched on welfare rights, women’s rights, discrimination, civil rights, and abortion.
From the values period, there came the decision-making and ethical dilemma s period which lasted between the late 1970s and early 1980s. This period was a landmark, especially because it highlighted the critical need for balancing social workers’ obligations and professional duties. However, there was a significant gap touching on the management of ethics-related risks. There were increased data lawsuits and complaints by the licensing board that touched on ethical issues,...