E-2: Identify the risks to oneself, others, and the profession as a result of engaging in unethical behavior ©
Our downloadable PDF review guides have an expanded Ethics section, including the full Ethics Code items, along with multiple ethical decision making models. Click here!
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Target Terms: unethical behavior, risks of unethical behavior
Definition: There are a wide variety of risks we may be inviting if we engage in unethical practices. Here are some of them.
- Risks to ourselves: We may encounter a broad range of risks personally and professionally when we choose unethical behavior. They may include a wide range of outcomes, including losing credibility, being , experiencing disciplinary action from our credentialing organization(s), and legal trouble. Ultimately, the nature of the risk will depend on what the unethical behavior is, and the context.
- Risk to others: Other people have a geat deal at stake when we behave unethically. Our clients and stakeholders may be harmed, perhaps permanently. Our colleagues may also lose out on appropriate role modeling, peer learning, and other impacts of our choices. Ripple effects of poor services can include harm to communities, organizations (such as with fraud), and so forth. Ultimately, the nature of the risk will depend on what the unethical behavior is, and the context.
- Risk to the profession: Our profession is relatively new, which means that society has not had a lot of time to learn about it and understand it in a broad context. Our profession is also struggling to emerge from some aspects of its past that were abusive and hateful, such as trying to change people’s sexuality or gender against their will, using punishment procedures inappropriately, treating disabled people as less worth than typically abled people, and so forth. This means that people outside our field may (very understandably) already be on their guard about the whole concept of ABA. Additionally, our field is (again, understandably) often mistaken for a specific set of intervention procedures for Autism. For these and many other reasons, our profession stands to lose greatly from unethical representation. We want to teach people that inclusive, safe, person-centered ABA is the name of the game! If we center ourselves and behave unethically, we are teaching people that are profession is harmful and bad. It’s on us to write a different story.
Why it matters: Our field depends on us to represent it well, and to keep it growing in impactful and accountable directions. Ultimately, there are real people involved here. Our clients, stakeholders, and colleagues benefit when we abide by ethical principles.
Please note some super important FAQs about the Ethics part of the TCO:
Is the Ethics Code part of the Task List or Test Content Outline? Well..not really. Unlike the rest of the TCO, which is its “own thing,” Part E is really a highlight reel of a separate and longer document. That document is called the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (link here). Remember that the TCO reflects the parts of the Ethics Code that will show up on the certification exam.
If I go through the TCO items in section E, do I really need to read the actual code? Seems long and boring. YES, you totally and absolutely DO need to read the entire Ethics Code for our profession. Prepping to be a professional is not just about passing a test.
How do I interpret the Ethics Code in specific situations? That’s not for us to tell you. The ethics sections were trickier for us to put together than the other items in the review section. That’s because the items having to do with the science of behavior are straightforward, in a factual sense. Ethics codes are subject to interpretation, cultural influence, and changes over time. We have done our best to help you understand without telling you what to think. Our best advice? Become familiar with ethical problem solving models, and talk to colleagues, supervisors, and mentors.