Human Rights Protection and APA Ethics Code
Human rights have been defined as rights that are given to everyone. The protection of these rights should be the priority of every practicing psychologist, because doing this enables the psychologist to help improve his society. In essence, Human rights are basic fundamental ethical and moral principles that set the minimum standards for treating others and/or for behavior (Hudson, 2015).
Governments have to legally enforce these rights and every individual by the fact that he or she is human is entitled to these rights, wherever he or she is lives in the world. Immediately after the end of World War II there emerged a movement that advocated for the adoption of human rights. Not long after, in the year 1953, the APA (American Psychological Association) came up with their own code for Ethical conduct of practitioners in the field (Hudson, 2015). Even though the first Ethics code drafted by the association contained over 150 pages, the current code is much more brief and to the point. The shortening of the code of conduct somewhat reflects the change in societal opinions regarding ethics over the same period of time (Smith, 2003).
Ethics Code
The APA ethics code applies only to activities in the field of psychology that are related to educational, professional or scientific roles of practitioners in this field; Roles such as those associated with: administration; forensic psychology; consulting services; educational psychology; conduction of studies; social activities; the design of evaluation instruments; trainee supervision; research and clinical psychology. The APA Ethics Code covers these and many more activities in different contexts including: one-on-one; over the internet; telephone and/or postal. These activities are however to be differentiated from the private conduct of practitioners in the field of psychology as such conduct is not under consideration in this code (Ethical Principles, n.d.).
The main objective of the code is to provide standards and guidance for the professional conduct of psychologists. Standards which can be applied by the association and any other organization that opts to adopt them. If, however, a psychologist is found not to have adhered to any of the APA standards that does not automatically mean that he or she is legally liable (Ethical Principles, n.d.).
Application of Ethics Code
Whenever a psychologist is making a decision about how he should act professionally, he or she must take into account the Ethics Code and other relevant laws and regulations set by the board. If a situation occurs such that the Ethics Code has proposed a standard that is higher than that which is legally required the psychologist must opt to meet the higher standard. If in a different scenario, the moral duty of the psychologist is not in line with the regulations, laws or other provisions set by a regulatory authority, then he or she must make a personal commitment to the code and act to resolve the conflict in a manner that is in line with the fundamental principles of human rights (Ethical Principles, n.d.).
Review of the 2002 Ethics Code
After going through over thirteen hundred comments and feedback on 7 drafts, in the month of August 2002, the council of representatives of the American Psychological Association decided to unanimously adopt the final draft as the new Ethics Code (APA, 2002b) ("A Code of Ethics," n.d.). Overall, the new Ethics Code is a somewhat limited revision that did retain the basic structure and the majority of the principles of the prior Ethics Code of 1992 (APA, 1992; Knapp & Van de Creek, 2003).
Resolution of 2007
In the year 2007, the association's council of representatives met and resolved to change APA's official position on human torture and other forms of punishment. Basing their arguments on the Resolution against torture (2006), the American Psychological Association stated its concern with regards to how detained people in prisons/detention centers were denied fundamental human rights. In their 2007 resolution the APA called upon psychologists to not agree to work in places where torture was taking place (Okorodudu, Strickland, Van Hoorn & Wiggins, 2007). Moreover, the association also expressed strong concern against the utilization of torture during interrogations and officially petitioned the United States government to put an end to such practices.
In the year 2008, the verbiage used in the 2007 resolution was altered to include text calling for the removal of practitioners in the field of psychology from environments in which detainees were being deprived of human rights except in environments that such professionals were directly participating in protecting such rights (APA, 2009).
Even though the initial resolution 2007 and its subsequent enhancement in 2008 were the rights steps in the right direction in terms of improving the 2002 Ethics Code, they were still not sufficient...
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