Dilemmas
The principal has just asked for Maria’s file. The principle needs to assess Maria’s behaviors at school. The principle has concerns over the other student’s safety. Giving the file to the principle would expose Maria’s behaviors resulting from her situation back at home. Besides, this would mean more trouble for Maria, who is trying to comprehend her tragic life incidences, such as her parents’ divorce. However, not giving the file to the principle would put my job at risk. Handing over the file to the principal would expose a vulnerable student to expulsion or other disciplinary measures in an attempt to make the school safe while refusing to hand over the file would jeopardize my employment.
The possible result, either way, makes this a dilemma. First, Maria, a 14-year-old girl, has already faced a lot from her experiences back at home. Her parents are on the verge of a divorce, which would further affect Maria’s life. The principle may fail to understand Maria, as he has not spent time with her. The principal may decide to punish or expel Maria. According to Kinman & Grant (2010), “empathy is considered it to be the ability to adopt the perspective of others to understand their feelings, thoughts, or actions” (p. 255). On the other hand, as a Social worker, I have the responsibility for my career and myself (Smith, 2018, p. 98). Failing to handover the file would risk my employment at the school. Besides, there exists my responsibility for the rest of the schoolchildren. The security of everyone remains essential in school. The solution would be to discuss Maria’s situation with the principle, then hand the file over to him.
References
Kinman, G., & Grant, L. (2010). Exploring stress resilience in trainee social workers: The role of emotional and social competencies. British Journal of Social Work, 41(2), 261-275. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcq088
Smith, L. H. (2018). Pursuing a Vision for Social Justice: Ethical dilemmas and critical imperatives in the South African context. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e674/0b2c11eb2f65b61d2d6f583239091d335cc7.pdf#page=107