An Investigation of Relationships among School Counselors' Ethical Professional Identity Development, Moral Reasoning, and Attitudes toward Confidentiality with Minors

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between school counselors' ethical professional identity development, level of moral reasoning and considerations for making decisions regarding confidentiality with minors in the school setting. Previous literature has explored the inter- and the intra-personal process of counselor professional identity development, but few studies have explored the cognitive process of constructing one's professional ethical obligations in increasingly complex terms and how various professional self-constructions may influence ethical behavior. With a sample population of 30 professional school counselors currently employed in Virginia, this study used a correlational research design to determine relationships between the constructs of professional ethical identity, moral reasoning, and considerations for decision-making regarding confidentiality with minors. Using Kegan's Subject-Object Interview Adapted to Essay Format, the Defining Issues Test-2 (DIT-2), and the Revised Ethical Dilemmas in Reporting Student Risk-Taking Behaviors to measure these constructs, a moderate positive correlation was found between the Subject/Object essay assessment and the DIT-2; a positive correlation was found between considering the age of the student when making decisions on confidentiality and ethical professional identity (Kegan Subject-Object essay assessment), and considering whether one's decisions meet the expectations of school administration and whether the decisions complied with school district policies were both negatively correlated to level of ethical professional identity (Kegan Subject-Object essay assessment). No significant relationship was found between ethical professional identity level and whether or not the individual was a member of counseling professional organizations or attended post-graduate professional development trainings. Additionally, no significant relationship was found between ethical professional identity level and whether the individual graduated from a CACREP-accredited graduate program. Results and implications for the fields of school counseling and counselor education are discussed. Limitations for the study and suggestions for future research are also presented. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]