Ethics

According to A Program Manual for Child Death Review, which contains a chapter on ethical dilemmas faced by teams, "ethics is commonly defined as a set of moral principles or a system of moral values that govern an individual or group."⁵ Ethical codes also provide boundaries that keep relationships between victims and responders appropriate (e.g., SART members should not give victims their home phone numbers or personal histories or invite them out for purely social engagements).

Multidisciplinary ethics affect all SART members because decisions made by one discipline affect other disciplines. For example, a bilingual advocate who is supporting a victim during a detective's interview may conclude that an interpreter's translation is incorrect; yet the advocate's role is not to participate in the interview or translate for the victim. This situation could cause a dilemma for the advocate (to speak or not to speak) and could affect criminal justice proceedings. Discussing possible ethical situations beforehand (e.g., during team meetings) can help ensure that interagency roles are understood, even in exceptional situations.

This section reviews—

• SART code of ethics.
• Ethics and the law.
• Ethical communication.