Affiliation:
1. Çankırı Karatekin University, Turkey
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to present the ethical dilemmas that social workers in various institutions in Turkey encounter as well as the factors that influence their decisions in case of ethical dilemmas. 234 social workers participated in the research. Statistical analyses were performed in the SPSS program and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Three out of four social workers who participated in the research (76.5%) indicated having experienced ethical dilemmas in their practices. When we look at the causes behind the emergence of ethical dilemmas, clients' request or need for service conflicting with legislative regulations comes to the fore among the responses given (77.6%). More than half of the social workers who participated in the research (54.1%) stated that they decide primarily according to the principle of client's best interest in case of an ethical dilemma. Social workers often encounter ethical dilemmas due to legal and institutional causes and in case of an ethical dilemma, they usually make a decision in favor of the client.