PPE POLL of the Week (Week 8): TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL?

In this week's lecture content we focus on autonomy in relation to privacy and confidentiality. The scenario below is provided in the Content folder for week 8 as an optional Vx case to deliberate. Responding to the Vx Case will help develop understanding of the complexity of decisions involving possible breaches of confidence and how this impacts on autonomy. Additionally, the case will provide another opportunity to practice using the vx case, as part of your assessment 2 preparation.

With that in mind, this week's poll presents the same sceanrio- as a way to get you started thinking about the scenario, and, if you do proceed to complete the optional vx Case, you'll hopefully see how the Vx Case framwork helps illuminate the complexity of scenarios as well as helping unpack what exactly is important to you, as the decision-maker in terms of your own values.

So, I see this poll as some good preparatory thinking for those who will go on to look at it as a Vx case and for those who don't- at least an opportunity to engage with the complexity of autonomy and confidentiality.

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When an 11 year old boy you are counselling reveals he is smoking marijuana, should you inform his father?

Danny is an 11 year old boy you have been seeing for 6 weeks. He is in counselling because his father, who has sole custody, tells you Danny has been stealing from him, even though he gets $10 pocket money a week to spend.

According to Danny’s father, the amounts have been substantial, ranging from $30 to $75. Danny admitting taking some money but claimed it was only a few dollars. Danny has told you he resents his father for rarely being home and that he took the money to punish him.

Danny later confides in you that he has twice used some of the money to buy marijuana. You believe you can help him deal with his anger toward his father. You think Danny’s pressing problem is his experimentation with marijuana, and wonder if he is doing that as a form of rebellion. Based on some of what Danny has told you, you have reason to believe he does not care about the consequences of his behaviour, and you are concerned that he might experiment with other substances.

What should you do?