Spencer Letizia
Children or Family First: Navigating the Ethical Conflict of Child Protection vs. Parental Rights
More than half of child maltreatment suspicions do not get reported to child
protective services. Contributing to the quandaries professional reporters face
when making the decision to report is concern for infringing on family autonomy.
These concerns largely relate to the ethical conflict between protecting children
and respecting parental rights. This session will explore the history and ethical
application of parental, child and family rights schemas in an effort to help
prepare professional reporters of suspected child maltreatment with the tools to
report, when necessary, and respect family autonomy whenever possible.