Mackenzie Fries

HDFS 301
Working With Minors
Ethical Dilemmas
INTRODUCTION
Noun: A child (plural: children) is a human being between the stages of birth and
puberty. The legal definition of child generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a
person younger than the age of the majority. Children generally have fewer rights than
adults and are classed as unable to make serious decisions, and legally must always be
under the care of a responsible adult. Since children are under the care of adults, it is then
the adults responsibility to ensure proper ethical care for the child. When entering a
workforce that interacts with children it is important to know the boundaries not to cross.
Many rules and guidelines are put into place because children need defended to ensure
that they too have rights. Children are more helpless yet are still people, just very tiny
people.
I have chosen to go into the education field, where every day I have the privilege
to work with dozens of children. Teaching is a rewarding job because a child brings a
great deal of joy, hope, and excitement into the world. I believe that teaching is the most
important job in the world because it is every teachers duty to raise the next generation.
The teacher has full control over the students in their class and is trusted to educate the
children properly. This being said, teachers need to know the ethical issues that can arise
while in the classroom. While working with minors a teacher can face issues of
autonomy, beneficence, justice, veracity, and fidelity. The following sections will dig
deeper into each ethical dilemma and where a teacher may face them.
AUTONOMY

The first ethical dilemma a teacher may face is the issue of autonomy. Autonomy
is the capacity of a rational individual to make informed decisions for themselves.
Children and teachers both have autonomous decisions that they make every day.
Autonomy is all about the individual promoting self-determination or what is best for
each individual. In school, it is important for the teacher to make proper autonomous
decisions that are specific for the children. Children do not always know what is best for
them, therefore the legal adult needs to think about each child on their own and make
corresponding decisions for them. We shall strive to build individual relationships with
each child; make individualized adaptations in teaching strategies, learning environments,
and curricula; and consult with the family so that each child benefits from the program
(National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2011). It is important to build
individual relationships, which can be done through a positive classroom where the
teacher takes the time to talk with their students about things such as what they are
interested in, how they learn, and what else is going on in their lives (Puhan, 2014). A
dilemma begins to occur with autonomy when teachers and parents both try to make
decisions for the childs best interest, but the decisions are different. Parents and teachers
both have the same goal for the child to develop to their full potential but they do not
always work together to make that goal. Teachers need to respect parents autonomous
decisions for their child while keeping the best interests of the student in mind. A teacher
is trained in child development, but a parent created this child. The dilemma lies here in
who has more credibility. As a teacher it should be important to build a relationship with
the parents, therefore eliminating ethical dilemmas before they are able to come about.
Teachers need to think about when to step in and stand up for the child when the
individual is not growing and when it is the parents right to have control (Shapira-

Lishchinsky, 2015). Teachers have control over their own autonomy, which enables them
to make their own professional actions when necessary.
Autonomy also comes into play through curriculum. Curriculum today is
narrowing because teachers and school systems are reallocating their instructional time to
subjects that are on standardized tests. There are no consequences for diminishing
attention to civics, science, history, cooperative learning, critical thinking of all kinds,
literature, the arts, physical fitness, or even mathematical reasoning. Teachers and schools
suffer consequences only when students are not well-prepared to answer, or make
educated guesses, on multiple choice questions in reading and math (Strauss, 2015).
Students are not receiving the full educational experience when they are deprived from
subjects. Teachers need to give each student the opportunity to find their niche in school.
A teacher is responsible for building each individual child so that they can have the best
future possible. A child chooses their favorite subject and it is a teacher duty to provide a
wide range of education for that student to have their autonomous decision. Teachers
need to provide the freedom to learn in any subject and in any way. Students are building
their autonomy as they learn, as they ask questions, as they discover, and as they make a
voice for themselves. An autonomous dilemma comes into debate in student inquiry
projects. Preventing student inquiry denies students access to diverse points of view and
unique subject matter. When a teacher creates an inquiry-oriented environment to pursue
educational objectives it builds the students as an individual leaner building their
autonomy. Teachers have the duty to raise the generation as a whole but when is comes to
the individual; they have less power to help them thrive and develop.
BENEFICEIENCE/NON-MALEFICIENCE

The second and third ethical dilemmas involved with working with minors are
beneficence and non-maleficence. The two of these dilemmas will be used
interchangeably because beneficence means to promote well-being and non maleficence
means to avoid doing harm. Professional educator must create an emotionally and
physically safe and healthy learning environment for all students (TEAM, 2012). This
means that it is a teachers job to ensure protection for children from conditions
detrimental to their learning, health, and safety (AAE Advisory Board and The Executive
Committee of AAE, 2015). The National Association for the Education of Young
Children has created a Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment which
helps teachers know how to perform professionally in the classroom. It states that
teachers need to support children development in a respectful and safe environment.
Teacher should never harm children or put them in dangerous situations. Instead it is
important to support children positively to help them cognitively, emotionally, and
socially. Moreover, teachers are fully responsible for making sure to promote well-being
(beneficence) and avoid doing harm (non- maleficence). Teachers should be well aware
of these codes that include things such as:

P-1.1Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices
that are emotionally dam- aging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading,
dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children. This principle has precedence
over all others in this Code.

P-1.2We shall care for and educate children in positive emotional and social
environments that are cognitively stimulating and that support each childs
culture, language, ethnicity, and family structure.

P-1.9When we have reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect, we

shall report it to the appropriate community agency and follow up to ensure that
appropriate action has been taken. When appropriate, parents or guardians will be
informed that the referral will be or has been made (National Association for the
Education of Young Children, 2011).

When teachers know these codes they are able to follow these principles and rules in their
everyday classroom. Ethical dilemmas are seen because there are gray areas in proper
teaching. For example, physically touching a student is not a sexual gesture in a large
majority of cases, yet it may not be permitted in the classroom. When working with a
young kindergarten class the students may want to hug their teacher or sit on their lap
while reading a story. A student may want to do this because they are building a strong
relationship with their teacher who is a safe guardian in their eyes. Teachers want to be
loved and trusted by their students. The vulnerability of children and their dependence on
adults is apparent at young ages. In this lies the dilemma, if the child does not feel safe
then it is clear that a violation is happening, but in most cases a child wants to be
comforted by a teacher. The boundary may become different as the child grows, but from
a young age a child should be able to feel comforted if this promotes their well-being.
Another example of beneficence in the classroom is the act of befriending the children.
For some teachers, befriending students is a simple matter of being available to them as
often as possible and sharing experiences. Teachers arrive early and remain after class to
chat with students as frequently as possible. Attendance at all school extracurricular
activities and formal functions provides additional opportunities to engage in lifecentered conversations with students (West, 2011). Many feel that the teacher should be
strict authority, not the students friend, but this may in fact harm their learning. Each

school and every teacher has various views on how close you should be to a teacher.
Getting too close or not close enough both could be ethically wrong. Overall, teachers
need to ensure that the students are developing and benefiting from their school. There
are many gray areas though as to how to do this in an ethical manner.
JUSTICE
The fourth ethical dilemma involved in working with minors is justice, which
means treating others fair by giving equally. The Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement
of Commitment, created by National Association for the Education of Young Children,
addresses this ethic. P-1.3We shall not participate in practices that discriminate
against children by denying benefits, giving special advantages, or excluding them from
programs or activities on the basis of their sex, race, national origin, immigration status,
preferred home language, religious beliefs, medical condition, disability, or the marital
status/family structure, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs or other affiliations of their
families. This means that the teacher needs to teacher every child equally. This is in full
effect in every decision a teacher makes; how to greet the child in the morning, what
lessons they prepare, how they assess the children, where they have the child sit etc. If
the educator can have full justice in their classroom they will have a classroom with no
distortion, bias, or personal prejudice (AAE Advisory Board and The Executive
Committee of AAE, 2015). For example, Assignments should be free of any bias that
would give some students a more difficult time than others in successfully completing the
assignment (Shapira-Lishchinsky, 2015). Justice is an ethical issue occurring everyday in
our country. The United States government is working to combat poverty and
segregation, and teaching should be a tool in a larger and all-important civil rights battle.
It should teach all children to treat each other equally because in school they are all

viewed the same. Every child should be told they can achieve and will be respected as an
individual (Strauss, 2015). Justice becomes a dilemma when there is a lack of fairness in
grading. Course assessments of student learning must be objective, valid, fair, but at
present there are many factors that may affect fairness in grading. Teachers should also
avoid letting unrelated factors or personal biases which affect their grading of student
assessments (Puhan, 2014). With this said, an issue lies in the fact that not all students
react to standardized testing equally. Distributive justice refers to the fairness of
outcomes. as when teachers use principles such as equity to evaluate the justness or
unjustness of the outcome. School standards are the criteria that schools apply for
reaching decisions. When these criteria are perceived as unfair when viewed against the
outcome, an ethical dilemma arises. In conflicts regarding fairness, teachers must decide
which principle of fairness is relevant in each situation or the principle of equal allocation
and treatment or the principle of differential allocation and treatment. This is the case
when teachers must decide whether to focus on one needy pupil or on all pupils
equally(Shapira-Lishchinsky, 2015). This means that when working with a minor is
equal outcome or equal input dictate justice. A teacher can put full effort into the least
advantaged therefore their test scores are improved, but there will be no effort into the
accelerated students, which will not help them improve. A teacher can treat all equal,
which will not improve the scores at an equal rate (Strike, 2016). Justice is an ethical
dilemma that sounds easy, treat all kids equal, but the definition of equal is hard to
determine. While working with minors it is important to keep equality in mind and
determine how to follow through with justice in the classroom.
FIDELTY

The fifth ethical dilemma that may be involved when working with minors is
fidelity. These issues involve making realistic commitments and keeping promises. A
teacher has certain responsibilities that they must follow through on. Teachers pledge to
create an emotionally and physically safe and healthy learning environment for all
students, strive to exercise the highest level of professional judgment, never intentionally
expose the student to disparagement, never reveal confidential information concerning
students, etc. (TEAM, January 2012). As a teacher it is easy to vow to these
commitments, but it may not be as easy to follow through. Teachers can ensure safety the
whole year in their classroom but their efforts can fall short at the highest level of
judgment. Teacher absenteeism and confidentially bring up many ethical questions when
it come to fidelity. Teacher absenteeism is one of the most serious causes of ethical
declining of education. It greatly reduces the overall effectiveness of the school,
diminishes pupils achievements, damages the schools reputation, and induces pupil
absenteeism. Teachers are the spreader of knowledge who helps developing pupils
understanding, attitudes, skills, learning, and core values (Puhan, 2014) Teachers make a
commitment to ensure students are developing to their full potential every school year. If
a teacher does not come to school, the students are not benefiting that day. Although if a
teacher is sick, they run the risk of infecting their students while trying to enhance their
learning. The appropriate action is up for ethical debate. It seems that teachers need to be
superheroes, always at their best, never missing a day to educate children. Another ethical
topic regarding fidelity is confidentiality. Teachers make a strict promise; We shall
maintain confidentiality and shall respect the familys right to privacy, refraining from
disclosure of confidential information and intrusion into family life. However, when we
have reason to believe that a childs welfare is at risk, it is permissible to share

confidential information with agencies, as well as with individuals who have legal
responsibility for intervening in the childs interest. (National Association for the
Education of Young Children, 2011). Students have a close relation with most of their
teachers, which develops trust. Students may disclose information to a teacher (in any
various way) that only said teacher knows. A dilemma arises when teachers must choose
between maintaining the trust of a confiding pupil and abiding by school rules, which
obligate them to report the confided information to administration and parents. (ShapiraLishchinsky, 2015). In some cases, teachers may know something about the child that
even the parents did not know. Teachers may not know how to handle certain situations
about a students life; in their defense they are not trained therapists. Should the teacher
break confidentiality when the situation is above their expertise? The teacher can do
harm if they do not handle situations correctly. The school and parents can also do harm
if information is told to them. For example, a child is showing major signs of ADHD. The
school wants to test the child but the parents do not approve and claim their child has no
problems. The student comes to the teacher saying that their parents will not tolerate any
disorder, punishing them, if the child doesnt straighten up. The teacher doesnt know if
they should discuss this information with the school, parents, or even doctors.
Confidentiality is an ethical debate of fidelity because a commitment is made to the
children. Teachers have many responsibilities and promises to follow through on
throughout the year. Many curve balls are thrown making it an ethical obstacle course to
maintain fidelity.
VERACITY
The sixth and final ethical dilemma is veracity, which entails truthfulness and
honesty in the school system. As a teacher it is important to inform the students and the

parents of the child of the teachers philosophy, policies, curriculum, assessment system,
cultural practices, and personnel qualifications, and explain why they teach as they do
which should be in accordance with our ethical responsibilities to children (National
Association for the Education of Young Children, 2011). From the start the teacher is
being honest with what the teacher has to offer the students and how the school year will
be handled. Teachers need to be truthful with who they are to the children, their parents,
and the school system. Ethically this can come into play if a teacher lies during an
interview or a parent teacher conference to make themselves sounds better as an educator.
It is important to discuss veracity with grading as well when talking about veracity. An
instructor has an ethical responsibility to ensure that the grades assigned are the best
estimate of the students performance. The grading system developed or selected will
generally reflect your philosophy of teaching, learning, and assessing. Apply your system
consistently to support equity (Brookhart, 2004). An example teachers may come across
during their time in their classroom might be a student failing an exam. This student will
most likely not pass this grade if they continue to not pass exams; leading to the child
dropping out of school. As a teacher it is important to help each student become fully
participating members of society, but is it acceptable to lie about the students test score to
keep this student in school. The students welfare is the highest obligation of the teacher
therefore failing the student out of the grade may not be what is best for the child.
Teachers honesty can hurt a child. Teachers are criminal if they enhance students
passing rates by erasing and changing answers in test booklets, but it is equally unethical
for school systems to enhance passing rates by devoting excessive time to test preparation
and robbing children of the broad curriculum they need to truly succeed (Strauss, 2015).
Schools focus heavily on exams, which is not the best form of assessment for each child.

Teachers have the obligation to be honest and truthful through their work with minors.
There, however, can be situations that a teacher may encounter situations that honesty in
fact hurts the child. It sounds easy to be truthful as a teacher yet confidentiality and
grading may require less honesty.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, while working with minors it is important to be well aware of the
ethical issues that may be involved. Specifically, as a future educator it is crucial to know
the rules, obligations, and decisions needed in the classroom. While working with minors
a teacher can face issues of autonomy, beneficence, justice, veracity, and fidelity. When a
teacher steps into the classroom they can experience many ethical situations that require
thought and question. Teacher should think about how to handle said situations before the
school year happens. It is important to know where a teachers moral decisions will take
them. Teachers do have guidelines and rules to follow but there are gray areas. Teaching
is never the same any two days or years therefore a teacher will have many ethical
dilemmas to face.

Works Cited
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Brookhart, S.M. (2004). Assessment theory for college classrooms. In New Directions
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