Bullying cross culture adolescents

Ethical or legal dilemmas can arise easily in the work of psychologists, particularly when working with children and adolescents (Behnke, 2006). Adolescence is a time when individuals are seeking freedom, independence and going through rapid cognitive development. This is also a time when cultural and family bindings can be overwhelming. As a psychologist helping adolescents it is important to understand the culture of an adolescent’s family, especially if it differs from the culture of majority.

Growing up in cross culture is especially hard on adolescents and can be a contributing factor to mental disorders (Hovey & King, 1996). Sometimes a family based approach maybe the need to help an adolescent but it may require going beyond some cultural boundaries. It may also require the psychologist to expose or talk about issues that maybe taboo for some cultures. Sex education and even dating for teenagers is considered unacceptable in Indian, Middle Eastern or Jewish cultures (Hickey, 2008). An adolescent may refer themselves to a psychologist or the parents may refer their child. Post therapy the psychologist assessment shows a need to reach out to the family. The adolescent is not comfortable with the idea of involving the parents but the intervention will not be effective without a family approach. The adolescent may make a request to respect family culture and expectation of his parent. The intervention may involve dealing with issue of being sexually active and this is considered an extremely grave situation in some cultures (Schlegel, 1995).

This may cause an ethical dilemma for the psychologist and require specific strategies to handle it. One strategy to stay focused on the adolescent and what benefits their mental health. Even in different cultures there are varying kinds of families and their values may differ from their culture. It may be an effective strategy for the psychologist to understand the family dynamics not in the light of their culture but as a family on its own. This will help the psychologist and intervention bring the family out of their cultural conflict that is affecting the adolescent.

If the psychologist is absolutely certain that family based approach is the solution to the adolescent’s problem, then involving the family may be the only option. According to American Psychological Association (APA) code of conduct, Amendment 7.04 and 7.05 ‘Psychologists do not require students or supervises to disclose personal information in course- or program-related activities, either orally or in writing, regarding sexual history, history of abuse and neglect, psychological treatment and relationships with parents, peers and spouses or significant others except if (1) the program or training facility has clearly identified this requirement in its admissions and program materials or (2) the information is necessary to evaluate or obtain assistance for students whose personal problems could reasonably be judged to be preventing them from performing their training- or professionally related activities in a competent manner or posing a threat to the students or others’.

This amendment allows the psychologist to use a family based intervention to the benefit of the adolescent.

References

American Psychological Association. (2011). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx  

Behnke, S. (2006). Beyond mere compliance: Three metaphors to teach the APA Ethics Code. Monitor on Psychology, 37(11).

Hickey, M. G. (2008). New worlds, old values: Cultural maintenance in Asian Indian women immigrants’ narratives. Cultural education-cultural sustainability: Minority, diaspora, indigenous, and ethno-religious groups in multicultural societies, 363-382.

Hovey, J. D., & King, C. A. (1996). Acculturative stress, depression, and suicidal ideation among immigrant and second-generation Latino adolescents.Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 35(9), 1183-1192.

Schlegel, A. (1995). The cultural management of adolescent sexuality. Sexual nature, sexual culture, 177-194.