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Confidentiality: Issues in working with self-harming adolescents

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Abstract

Although clinical work with adolescents has long been recognized as technically difficult, ethical considerations may present an even greater challenge to the clinician. This is particularly true for social workers who work with adolescents who manifest self-harming behavior. This paper examines the ethical dilemmas inherent in clinical work with self-harming adolescents and illustrates the need to include a model for ethical decision making as an essential element in competent social work practice. Moreover, the analysis of the clinical situation underscores the importance of under-standing the contemporary debate on children's rights.

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Applewhite, L.W., Joseph, M.V. Confidentiality: Issues in working with self-harming adolescents. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 11, 279–294 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01876555

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