Preserving confidentiality is problematic for human service practitioners if they know that a client is seriously harming a third party or could do so in the future. The present study concerned financial harm, as generated by gambling-related theft. Clients who disclose gambling-related theft potentially create a dilemma for practitioners, who may need to consider whether they have a professional duty to warn or in other ways protect third parties who are identifiable but uninvolved in treatment. Study participants included specialist gambling counsellors, practitioners working in agencies likely to attract clients with gambling problems and students in training. Data was collected by means of an online survey. Findings reveal how practitioners construe their profession’s legal and ethical obligations when clients admit to gambling-related theft and when they personally believe that disclosure is warranted. Areas of uncertainty and disagreement have import for employing agencies, professional associations and tertiary training institutions.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Professional ethics . Ethical dilemmas . Confidentiality . Disclosure .
Research Division:	Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
Research Group:	Psychology
Research Field:	Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology
Objective Division:	Law, Politics and Community Services
Objective Group:	Work and Institutional Development
Objective Field:	Professions and Professionalisation
UTAS Author:	Patford, J (Dr Janet Patford)
UTAS Author:	Tranent, P (Mr Peter Tranent)
ID Code:	80770
Year Published:	2013
Web of Science® Times Cited:	1
Deposited By:	Psychology
Deposited On:	2012-11-12
Last Modified:	2017-11-07
Downloads:	0