Humanities Homework Help

After reviewing the five scenarios, you are to select two of the five scenarios and write a 2 – 3 page response for each. Be sure you use the course information, resources, laws, policies, administrative procedures, chat discussions, and professional ethical standards a school counselor should follow. Your responses must have at least two citations of resources.

The SCENARIOS deal with the following areas:
(you will respond to any two)

1. CHILD ABUSE REPORTING
2. CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
3. SUICIDE
4. BULLYING/HARASSMENT
5. SELF-HARM

Remember: each essay must have a minimum of two citations and discuss the “human element.”

1. CHILD ABUSE REPORTING

You reported a case of child abuse brought to your attention by a teacher. The teacher noticed a horrible slash mark across the back of a child’s neck and upon inspection the teacher saw that it extended way down the child’s back. The mark closely resembled a belt mark. You report the incident to the Child Abuse Registry. The subsequent investigation by Protective Child Services revealed a fall from a piece of playground equipment witnessed by the child’s soccer coach and team members. The parents deducted that the report came from the school and specifically from you. The parents are livid and are threatening to sue you. What might be 3 dilemma/competing issues in developing a course of action? Generate two potential courses of action and project the consequences for each potential course of action. As a school counselor of three years, what is the best course of action for you?

2. DEFAMATION BY A SCHOOL OFFICIAL

J.D. was not promoted to the ninth grade because he did “nothing” according to his teacher in eighth grade. His parents say he should be promoted because his failure to do work was the result of his handicap. He has been diagnosed as mildly ADHD. A joint conference is held with the parents, principal, teacher, and you. During the course of the conference you explain to J.D. parents that he is “lazy and interested only in his social life.” J.D.’s parents bring suit against you for defamation.

How will the courts rule? What steps could you take to improve the outcome?

3. CONSITUTIONAL RIGHTS

You are a high school counselor. Your school has a tradition of a very formal, respectful, solemn graduation ceremony. A very strict dress and grooming code for graduation is enforced. Personally, you think the ceremony is stifled and pleases the adults more than the students but you remain silent and cooperative as it is a very beautiful ceremony. One of your student’s shows up for graduation with purple hair and the principal decides she cannot participate in the graduation ceremony. You tell the principal that you feel this student’s constitutional rights are being violated. What might be 3 dilemma/competing issues involved in this scenario? Generate two potential courses of action and project the consequences for each potential course of action.

4. Criminal Activity

In a third visit to the school counselor a 16-year-old female discusses with you her compulsive shoplifting activity. She gives you the dates, times, and places of her past shoplifting. Do you have a duty to report this to the authorities? To her Parents? What issues are involved? Any case law you can cite? What is the best course of action for the school counselor?

5. STUDENT SAFETY

You have just been told that three 11 grade students are planning to fight just off the school grounds this afternoon at the parking lot of the Elmwood Park, one block from the school. This is one of those dreaded days when all administrators are off campus and you are the principal designee for the day. What might be 3 dilemma/competing issues involved in this scenario? Generate two potential courses of action and project the consequences for each potential course of action. What case law guides your decisions?

6. SUICIDE

A fourteen year old middle school student reports to you that Sarah, a counselee of your colleague Mr. Jones, is involved in Satanism and has entered a murder-suicide pact with another student. In collaboration, you and Mr. Jones call Sarah in and she vehemently denies the allegations and even scoffs at the idea that she would ever be involved in a cult. She convinces you. Do you have any further obligations in this case? What issues are involved? Generate two potential courses of action and project the consequences for each potential course of action. What ethical standards can you turn to? What case laws provide you guidance?

7. HARASSMENT

You are counselor at a high school that has performing arts academy. Some males who major in dance or theater are often labeled gay. You know this to be true because students occasionally complain to you. You have conducted interviews and surveys about school climate and included questions about harassment of gays, lesbians, and males who choose theater and dance. You have also started a program called, “No Name- Calling Week.” Still, you discover a fairly widespread problem. As a school counselor what are your obligations? What issues are involved? What case laws provide you guidance?

8. Group Counseling

You are a middle school counselor who is establishing a small group to work on attendance issues. You have the full support of your school principal. What might be 3 dilemma/competing issues involved in this scenario? What are the legal and ethical issues you should consider prior to starting the group?

9. STUDENT RECORDS

Mrs. Sanchez wants to change an “inaccurate” notation in her child’s cumulative file. Her child is now in the 10 grade and in danger of not passing the CASHEE. (California high school graduation exam) Mrs. Sanchez contends that the“inaccurate” information is in regards to her child’s behavior because she claims that the teacher, back in the seventh grade, had personality conflicts with her child and was picking on him. You are the principal’s designee for handling this matter. What are the due process procedures you must offer this parent? What are the two possible issues involved?

10. Self-Harm

You are a middle school counselor and you have been seeing Rachel, an eighth grader, in group for three sessions thus far. She was cutting herself with a pen knife last year but so far this year, the behavior has stopped. She is in a social skills group to help her with friendship issues. Yesterday, she came into your office sobbing about her parents’ divorce and the war zone that her home has become. She confesses that she has been cutting again to relieve the pain and pressure of the situation. She begs you not to call her parents and promises to use some of the stress-relief exercise you taught her.

What might be 3 dilemma/competing issues involved in this scenario?

What is your best course of action? What ethical standards and case law guide your solution(s)?