When creating public policy, even the best intentions often have dire consequences for those we are trying to serve. Here is a great example of the difficulty we have in predicting the outcomes of our actions.
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/tgr/01/3/gr010305.html
So what do you think? If I have a young girl confide in me that her partner is dramatically older than her, or a teen mom reports that the baby's father is 30, how do I proceed? While a break in trust with me may not prevent these young ladies from receiving reproductive health services, it may help them become a little more distrustful of professional service providers, it may make them a little more ashamed of their relationships and eat away at their self-esteem. If I were to make a report and it were acted on, it will certainly destroy the relationship I have with the victim, who will probably not come to me with confidences in the future. This dilemma is a recurring one in social work, especially for the borderline situations. When do you go to the parents? When do you call someone out on destructive behavior? Where is the line between friend and social worker, listener and teacher?
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A social worker should never even begin approaching the line of friendship. If that is happening, the social worker in question is demonstrating unprofessional and potentially harmful behavior.
If a minor client reports sexual encounters with an adult party, which constitutes statutory rape, then a report MUST be made. As the adult and the professional in the situation a social worker must know to put safety and continuity of care above discomfort and "what ifs".
In addition, a social worker can gain respect in the long run by doing the right thing (reporting), and holding firm to the social boundaries. In the opposite situation (not reporting), the minor will eventually come to know the misjudgement of the social worker.
If reporting the statutory rape relationship causes an irreparable rift between the minor and the social worker, a change of staff or a referral to an outside agency can be made.
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