Forensic Psychological Guidelines and Ethics Essay

As a forensic psychologist, one may encounter several situations which require astute guidance from law and ethics of the practice to ensure that the interviewee's rights are upheld. This is because, the practice is involved in the handling of private and sensitive information, which if not handled well, may cause harm to the respondent. Thus, challenges in adhering to such guidelines lead to some breaking the law and the guidelines provided by the APA such as seeking consent and conflict of interest. Therefore, strategies such as upholding responsibility, competence, and effective communication can be used to ensure compliance to the set ethical codes and guidelines.

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Upholding responsibility is one of the strategies that I can utilize to ensure compliance with the APA ethical guidelines. As a forensic psychologist, one has to uphold integrity, fairness, and ensure that the accessed information does not result in a situation to ignite a conflict of interest. Therefore, it is my responsibility to ensure that as a professional, I do not indulge in activities that will lead to breaking ethical codes. For instance, to avoid conflict of interest associated with disclosure, I ought to take I as my responsibility to inform the client that any information given may be used in his or her case. This will ensure that they give relevant information, and when they disclose new evidence, it will be my responsibility to forward it to the officers responsible, since it was given out willingly.

Additionally, upholding competence will act as another strategy to uphold APA guidelines. As a forensic psychologist, I am obliged to consider several guidelines such as the impacts of personal or emotional information, appreciation of differences in the society, acknowledgment of the legal and rights of individuals, and the knowledge of the research and study guidelines. These standards act as the backbone of every successful forensic psychologist. For instance, in instances of first degree offenses such as murder, I am obliged to consider the emotional reaction of the subject and the society during the interviewee and also during the disclosure of such an event. This will ensure that I will not, for instance, derail the recovery process of the inmate. Additionally, when relaying such information to the media or public, it is essential to ensure I do not disclose extremely sensitive details which may cause unrest in the society. Thus, reviewing and upholding such guidelines can act as an appropriate strategy to avoid breaching such standards.

More so, effective communication may act as a strategy to ensure that I comply with some of the challenging APA guidelines. The way information is relayed determines whether I will cause harm or be of benefit to both the society and the subject. For instance, if I attain sensitive information regarding an unresolved case, it is essential for me to uphold such information if it will lead to the collapse of such a case or give it out if it will help. Additionally, it is also vital to ensure that my client is informed of his/her rights and my capacity/responsibilities to ensure that he/she provides important and relevant information. Such a strategy will assist in ensuring that the ethical guidelines by APA are followed to the letter.

Conclusion

In conclusion, strategies such as upholding responsibility, competence, and effective communication can be used to ensure compliance with the set ethical codes and guidelines. For example, upholding responsibility ensures that the accessed information does not result in a situation to ignite a conflict of interest, upholding competence ensures consideration of various guidelines as one conducts the interview. Finally, effective communication guarantees that the subject and the society have access to the relevant information in their capacity.