Abstract
Individuals with a sexual interest in children who have not committed a sexual offense are a client population that are currently underserved by psychologists. In the context of accessing and providing mental health services, mandatory reporting laws represent a key issue for clients and psychologists. For clients, mandatory reporting requirements creates a double-bind: They wish to access psychotherapy for a myriad of psychological concerns, yet they fear the implications of psychologists' mandated reporting requirements if they disclose their sexual interest. Psychologists treating nonoffending clients with sexual interests in children face several overlapping and competing ethical and legal obligations created by mandatory reporting laws. To examine these complexities, the present article reviews and discusses legislation in Canada, complaints to provincial professional colleges, and case law related to mandatory reporting requirements. We additionally review principles and standards in the Canadian Psychological Association's Code of Ethics (4th ed.) to inform service provision with these clients. Recommendations for practice are provided based on this discussion, and practice case vignettes are given to facilitate ethical decision-making.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 369-381 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Canadian Psychology |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Attirance aux mineurs
- Ethics
- Mandatory reporting
- Minor-attraction
- Pedophilia
- Psychotherapy
- Psychothérapie
- Pédophilie
- Signalement obligatoire
- éthique
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Psychology