The Case of Lara

The Case of Lara

Ethics in Action Cases

Using the case below, please respond to the questions using the code/legal statutes/professional literature to support your response. These do not need to be lengthy, just supported.

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Lara, a high school counselor, has been conducting a group for girls who recently transferred to the high school. The focus of the group is on building friendships, self-esteem, and making good choices. During the fourth session earlier in the week, the girls begin discussing boyfriends and whether to give in or say no to sex. Stacy, a 15-year-old freshman, chimed in that she and her boyfriend are having sexual relations, and she does not regret it. Stacy told the girls she loves her boyfriend and plans to marry him one day. She mentions, almost in passing, that her boyfriend is 19 years old and that her parents don’t know about it but would kill her if they found out as they are very protective, and she is not supposed to date until she is 16.

The Case of Lara

• Can Stacy’s counselor keep her disclosure confidential, or does she have to share the information with the school or Stacy’s parents?

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• If Lara does break confidentiality, what are the risks to her relationship with Stacy?
• If Lara breaks confidentiality, what are the risks to the group process, to the trust that other group members may have towards her and the group, and what might be shared about her to other students impacting her role at the school?
• What happens if one of the group members shares this information with people outside of the group? Can you require group members to keep information confidential?
• Are these risks greater than the risks posed by keeping Stacy’s relationship with her boyfriend asecret from her parents?