Running head: Moral Reasoning

Kathleen Wallace
SW 3410
Wayne State University

Moral Reasoning

As a mandated reporter, it is tough to decide what issues should and should not be
reported. On one hand, it is seemingly unprofessional to jump to the conclusion that an issue
needs to be reported when it is not necessary; however, it can be harmful if it is not. Based on the
vignette provided, I would not immediately report Kates stepfather to DHS. Although some may
argue that her stepfather should be reported because social workers are mandated to report sexual
abuse, I believe there are other factors that need to be considered before immediately reporting.
Kates level of moral reasoning, state of mind, and the lack of information provided are crucial to
consider when deciding rather to report or not.
According to Lawrence Kohlbergs stages of moral development, it is understood that
Kate is presenting conventional level development. At this level, adolescents want to be seen as
good and maintain social order by obeying laws and social norms (McLeod, 2011). Kate
makes it clear that she does not want her stepfather to be reported because it will anger her
mother. Kate urges to be viewed as a good daughter and if her mother finds out she has told a
social worker, Kate believes her reputation will be compromised. Thus, I would not want to
report her stepfather immediately because Kate needs guidance to understand that she is not
bad for seeking help. Kate must first understand her stepfathers harmful actions do not wane
her character as a person. Considering Kate is threatening to stop seeing me if I tell DHS, it
would be unhelpful to report right away because the assistance Kate needs would be terminated.
Since Kate is seeking help on her own, she is able to stop treatment whenever she wants. In order
for there to be growth and progress, Kate and I would need to work on this issue together
throughout many sessions. Instead of reporting immediately, I would work with Kate and help
her understand that she is not a bad daughter for seeking help and her stepfathers actions are

Moral Reasoning

not her fault. Therefore, in time, Kate may realize her bravery for seeking help and even agree
with reporting her stepfather on her own terms.
Additionally, Kates state of mind is an indicator that reporting straightaway may not be
the best option. If Kate is suffering from sexual abuse, her memories could be skewed with faulty
recollection. It is common for traumatic events to cause repressed memory (Williams, 1994). It
has been documented that a majority of women who had been sexually abused either deny or
remember very little when asked to recall their experience. Thus, Kate could have a repressed
memory about the abuse and is giving mistaken details. Kates description of the abuse could be
exaggerated or major details could be overlooked. Additionally, seeking attention is a common
mindset of high school teenagers. This desire for attention could cause Kate to exaggerate details
about the incident to receive more reaction. Kate is at an age of immaturity that goes hand-inhand with insecurity; thus, Kate may be using distorted information to become the center of
attention to overcome a lack of confidence (Field, 1996). By gaining Kates trust with waiting to
report and meeting with her frequently, I would be able to distinguish facts from fiction and
establish a firm stance to prosecute with specifics.
The most significant reason to avoid reporting Kates stepfather immediately is the lack
of information provided. Although the first instinct when a young teenager discusses sexual
abuse is to prosecute the abuser, the comparison to what is believed to have happened and the
actual facts are unbalanced. There is a lack of information that leaves the situation with a lot of
uncertainty; which lacks appropriate evidence to report efficiently. The only known information
is that Kates mother has kicked Kates stepfather out of the house and will be angered if the
abuse is discussed with others. Thus, due to the lack of information, it could be argued that the
whole scenario is a lie. Merely one meeting with Kate cannot provide efficient evidence to

Moral Reasoning

construct an appropriate plan for the next step of action. Instead, I would document the
information Kate has provided and meet with her again to see if the discussion matches with the
original details or if the information is being skewed. This will give insight as to how truthful the
details are. With each meeting, Kate will feel more comfortable to expose more details verses
ending therapy immediately as a consequence of reporting instantly. Accordingly, when there is
enough information, I will speak with Kate about the importance of reporting and her courage to
share the details of her abuse. Once there is an equal understanding for the need to report,
reporting will be done in a professional manner with proper information.
Although some may argue that Kates stepfather should be reported, I believe there is
efficient evidence to prove otherwise. Considering social workers are considered mandated
reporters, this causes many to believe that Kates stepfather should be reported. Considering
there is suspicion of sexual abuse, social workers are mandated by law to report such activity
(Krase, 2014). However, since there is insufficient evidence to prove this is occurring, I would
not report immediately in order to gather more information through more sessions for a stronger
case. Likewise, it can be debated that reporting would promote protection for Kate. Yet, if it is
reported and the situation is found to be a lie, it could hurt the reputation of the agency as well as
anger Kates stepfather into pressing charges for defamation. Additionally, reporting falsely
could anger her stepfather and put Kate in danger. Although social workers are mandated
reporters and Kates safety is a major priority, there is just not enough information to jeopardize
reporting insufficiently and ruining the reputation of the agency without concrete evidence.
In conclusion, based on Kates conventional level of development, consequences of
repressed memory, and the lack of efficient proof, I would not report Kates stepfather
immediately. Instead, with her stepfather being out of the house, I would meet with Kate

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frequently to gather adequate evidence to establish a strong case against the stepfather.
Simultaneously, I would instill the understanding that it is not her fault this abuse occurred and
she is not bad for seeking help. Praising Kate of her bravery for seeking help and separating
her stepfathers actions from her own insecurities may persuade Kate to understand the
importance of reporting such behavior, if it has truly occurred.

Moral Reasoning

References

Field, T. (1996, January 1). Drama queens, saviours, rescuers, feigners and attention-seekers
attention-seeking personality disorders, victim syndrome, insecurity and centre of
attention behaviour. Retrieved from http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/attent.htm
Krase, K. (2014, January 1). Making the tough call: Social workers as mandated reporters.
Retrieved, from http://www.socialworker.com/featurearticles/practice/Making_the_Tough_Call:_Social_Workers_as_Mandated_Reporters,_Pa
rt_I/
McLeod, S. (2011). Kohlberg. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/kohlberg.html
Williams, L. (1994). Recall of childhood trauma: A prospective study of women's memories of
child sexual abuse. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 62(6), 1167-1176.
Retrieved from
http://66.199.228.237/boundary/Childhood_trauma_and_PTSD/repressed-memoryabuse-williams-1994.pdf