Membership Expulsions for Ethical Violations from Major Counseling, Psychology, and Social Work Organizations in the United States: A 10-Year Analysis

Abstract

This report examined ethical violations as grounds for membership expulsions made by the major counseling, psychology, and social work organizations in the United States over a 10-yr. period. Data indicated that the rates of expulsions stayed steady or declined, were disproportional across organizations, and that organizational sanctioning may be even more rigid than that of state boards. In addition, not all organizations followed procedures in a consistent manner when reporting or processing cases. The most common reason for expulsion was for violations under the category of dual relationships, particularly those of a sexual nature. Further research is needed to show how the variations of membership types, the profiles of the offenders, or the potential biases of the committees' judges weigh in on the issued sanctions, particularly those of ambiguous nature (e.g., nonsexual violations). It is also recommended that the expulsion data be easily available to all, and that it be reported systemically for the analysis of trends and for the overall accountability of ethics committees.