Client confidentiality vs criminality - what would you do?
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ellewopter
Well-Known Member
If it's something serious I would spill the beans, Its IMO morally wrong not to. If it was pinching sweets from the paper shop then I wouldn't care.
I wouldn't want a client that was capable of criminal activities..... what would they do to me???
I wouldn't want a client that was capable of criminal activities..... what would they do to me???
heeheehee ! i know, i hope i never get any, im not expecting any mass murderers or anything, yeiks ! and if i had any scarey hard cases they wouldnt get a second appointment anyway because i wouldnt let them through the door again. im thinking more along the lines of a 'Mrs Petticoat stealing an extra bun from the local fete' or something to that effect, lol, anyhow i cant imagine any real hardened criminals stopping to have their tootsies polished or their cheeks powder puffed before they pop off to arm their hips with heavy sub machine guns
Lou x
Well-Known Member
I agree with Tigan- I'd never grass! On anybody! Especially not family! No matter what it was!
With clients if it's was child abuse then yes I would but that's it anything else my mouth would be sealed shut! x
With clients if it's was child abuse then yes I would but that's it anything else my mouth would be sealed shut! x
I've had a quick look on this here interweb, and it seems that the only crime we have to report is that of terrorism. Anything else is up to us.
I think I'd use my moral judgement, ie, knowing something but not reporting it could ruin the life of a victim even more!
I think I'd use my moral judgement, ie, knowing something but not reporting it could ruin the life of a victim even more!
indeed anything else id just take to the grave with me
VHunter
Well-Known Member
ditto!!!
If I felt the situation was grave enough and warranted reporting, I don't care if it's a stranger/client/blood relative....
Use your judgement folks.....
If the criminal act was against you... wouldn't you want that person to get busted by the police and pay for what they did??
I knew someone that shoplifted one time..... let's say that they were ummm 'close to the family'.... I ratted them out and made them return the shoplifted items.
Another time, I reported the 'license plate number' for a hit and run..... I knew who had done it.
I wouldn't want someone to steal from me (which HAS happened)... so I won't stand by 'blind' while someone does it to someone else.
As said, use your judgement. Some things just aren't worth it... but others..... definately.
EXCELLENT post, VHunter! I could not agree, more!
I did the same as you re: a shoplifting incident (involving one of my beloved offspring). Gee and guess what...it never happened again. Good parenting doesn't always mean EASY.
this seemed like the perfect place to ask this, i was doing a clients nails the other day and i know her parents hate her boyfriend shes 16 hes a bit older and always in trouble and bossing her around, she said she had ended it with him but they always get back together as he threatens to kill himself, i asked if she was scared of him and she said no hes slapped me twice and pushed me over tho and please dont tell my mum! i soo wanted to tell her mum but didnt & really hate the thought that he will do it again
I personally wouldn't tell her mum, the girl will lose trust in you and maybe you will lose a client. Not only that but can her mum honestly stop her seeing this boy? If she wants to see him when she's out she will you know? I would maybe have a chat with the girl and just say that a boyfriend who hits you isn't really acceptable and he could really hurt you the next time. Just advise her really. But that's just what I would do, because I just think her mum may not be able to stop her. And I know your saying you wouldn't like it to happen again, it is a hard situation. Maybe have a word with the girl first then if that doesn't help you could say to her mum? And tell the girl that maybe?
Susie H
Well-Known Member
As a night time taxi driver I did my share of the drug runs. Yep, you get the call, make a pick up and the person who gets in is sniffing, twitching got the shakes and you say where to and it's a round trip. I.E. Go to a street, wait, then bring them back.
What I learned, always ask for the money up front otherwise, they would spend the taxi fare on drugs and run when you got back.
Don't look, don't ask and don't tell. We had a driver who did, his tyres were slashed then his car was burned out and finally they beat him so badly he had to retire.
Best way, keep your doors locked until you get a look at your fair and it's a junkie, drive of. It's not them who will give you problems it's the dealer.
If one of my kids had got mixed up in that, yes I'd have ratted them out.
In fact if they had done anything illegal I would have turned them in myself.
Why? Because I've seen to many kids doing things they really shouldn't, safe in the belief that their parents would always get them out of trouble no matter what they did.
As I said on another thread, if you let the little things slip, then the next thing becomes the little thing and you end up with 11 year old looters, smerking at the judge in court.
As for the client, if they started to tell me something, I think I'd probably change the subject. Hearing about their sex life is bad enough:Scared:
What I learned, always ask for the money up front otherwise, they would spend the taxi fare on drugs and run when you got back.
Don't look, don't ask and don't tell. We had a driver who did, his tyres were slashed then his car was burned out and finally they beat him so badly he had to retire.
Best way, keep your doors locked until you get a look at your fair and it's a junkie, drive of. It's not them who will give you problems it's the dealer.
If one of my kids had got mixed up in that, yes I'd have ratted them out.
In fact if they had done anything illegal I would have turned them in myself.
Why? Because I've seen to many kids doing things they really shouldn't, safe in the belief that their parents would always get them out of trouble no matter what they did.
As I said on another thread, if you let the little things slip, then the next thing becomes the little thing and you end up with 11 year old looters, smerking at the judge in court.
As for the client, if they started to tell me something, I think I'd probably change the subject. Hearing about their sex life is bad enough:Scared:
Mrs.Clooney
Positive Geek
in uni i had to do an essay on legal and ethical perspectives --- talk about headache!!
it all comes down to your own ethics and moral guidelines!!
legally we are obligated to inform the relevant authorities when information you are given concerns someone coming in to harm - murder, assault, etc ---
or concerning someone under 16 (or 18 in certain places )
however it it up to you and your ethical boundaries to what you perceive as harm -- eg i might think that someone whom tells me they are going out to fight on a friday night warrants me to inform the police, but others might find it completely normal ((does that make sense?? prob doesnt coz the whole subject doesnt really) lol
you are also in every right able to withhold names/addresses etc of persons suspected of criminal activity unless there is a warrant. but doesnt mean its the right thing to do???
ive got a headache just writing that - can you image doing a 2000 word assignment and having 4 mths of debates over the subject! lol
if this was me i would explain that you think it is best if she tells her parents as they would be able to offer help and support etc and if it continues tell her that you need to inform her parents as you are worried bout her safety x x
dandelionpoppy
Well-Known Member
This is really interesting and helps clarify the debate.
I guess, in the end, it comes down to your conscience.
BotoxBoy
Well-Known Member
I think its a scale, a bit like a moral compass.
Depending on the crime, the situation and the information revealed depends upon the response.
It also depends on whether you feel you have a 'legal' responsibility to report a crime or a 'moral' one and I think the two are completely different.
For the general public and professionals i.e. therapists etc I don't think there is the strict binding confidentiality rules as there is in areas such as medicine, law and religion (eg confession witha priest).
I therefore think that it is 'reasonable' for a person upon hearing information about a crime to NOT report it if they don't want to or feel comfortable doing.
For example, the person may fear retribution, may feel that they don't have enough facts or that it is not even their place to report it.
However, I would like to think that if I or another reasonable (a very common principle in law), heard about a serious crime or a crime where a child or other vulnerable person was at risk of injury or harm, then we should report it from the 'moral' perspective.
Whether there us a legal obligation is another matter.
I tend to have a more liberal view on this because my experience of working in the NHS in Emergency care for most of my career so far is that there is a) so much crime and b) so many people just seemingly waiting to catch people out for doing something wrong!
I think if the crime is relatively minor then live and let live and hope that the processes and procedures in the law are enough to eventually detect crime and deal with it accordingly.
If it is more serious then the person needs to carefully weigh up their options before reporting something and one brilliant way to do it is via 'crimestoppers' (in the UK). The have a 'zero %' of reporters of crime having their identity revealed and this would be an excellent way to report something where the reporter fears any repercussions from their actions!
Depending on the crime, the situation and the information revealed depends upon the response.
It also depends on whether you feel you have a 'legal' responsibility to report a crime or a 'moral' one and I think the two are completely different.
For the general public and professionals i.e. therapists etc I don't think there is the strict binding confidentiality rules as there is in areas such as medicine, law and religion (eg confession witha priest).
I therefore think that it is 'reasonable' for a person upon hearing information about a crime to NOT report it if they don't want to or feel comfortable doing.
For example, the person may fear retribution, may feel that they don't have enough facts or that it is not even their place to report it.
However, I would like to think that if I or another reasonable (a very common principle in law), heard about a serious crime or a crime where a child or other vulnerable person was at risk of injury or harm, then we should report it from the 'moral' perspective.
Whether there us a legal obligation is another matter.
I tend to have a more liberal view on this because my experience of working in the NHS in Emergency care for most of my career so far is that there is a) so much crime and b) so many people just seemingly waiting to catch people out for doing something wrong!
I think if the crime is relatively minor then live and let live and hope that the processes and procedures in the law are enough to eventually detect crime and deal with it accordingly.
If it is more serious then the person needs to carefully weigh up their options before reporting something and one brilliant way to do it is via 'crimestoppers' (in the UK). The have a 'zero %' of reporters of crime having their identity revealed and this would be an excellent way to report something where the reporter fears any repercussions from their actions!
