codes of ethics

CODES OF ETHICS ( sample code of ethics included)

Codes of ethics establish broad rules of conduct for a profession and its members, and thus can be differentiated from an individual moral code which governs particular decisions in both private and professional life. Codes of ethical conduct for the professional and moral decisions for the individual overlap with legal requirements but are distinct from them. While codes of ethics in the health and human services provide the professional with rules and guidance, they are not legally binding as such unless they are otherwise codified or incorporated into law. Unethical conduct may be sanctioned by a professional association, resulting in an admonishment, suspension from practice or expulsion from the profession. However, whether the unethical conduct is legally actionable remains a different question and will depend on applicable legal provisions.

Van Hoose and Kottler have identified several purposes served by codes of ethics. One main function is to provide guidance for professional conduct and decision making. A second function is to legitimate the profession in the eyes of the public, and a third is to preempt governmental regulation and the imposition of external standards. A fourth function is to establish rules of conduct with which a professional's conduct can be compared, either to protect the professional who operates within that code or to discipline the professional who violates its provisions (Van Hoose and Kottler, 1985).

Codes of Ethics and Law

Legal provisions and professional codes of ethics are often in agreement--that is, professional conduct is usually both legal and ethical, or occasionally both illegal and unethical. Sometimes, however, the two may not clearly coincide and the resulting conflict may pose some real dilemmas for the health and human services professional. Professional conduct may be unethical and yet remain legal; in some instances conduct may be illegal and yet still be ethical. A simple topology will illustrate the relation between law and ethics.

Here is the sample code of ethics http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp. You will remember that I distributed some copies during the lecture on media ethics.