Literature+Review

A Pregnant Teenager Case  Situations like this one can be difficult for any counselor because topics such as teen pregnancy and abortion can be very value-laden for many people. In this situation, we see that Michael does not have strong feelings about abortion, but that he is strictly against teen pregnancy. When working with this population, it’s very important that he not let his personal beliefs and values interfere with his job (Stone, 2002). Michael is unsure if he is required to tell Jenny’s parents about her pregnancy. On one hand, Michael doesn’t want to lose Jenny’s trust in him, but he also has to maintain balance between his ethical and legal responsibilities to Jenny, her parents, and the school system (Glosoff and Pate, 2002). Some school systems have policies in place which would require Michael to inform Jenny’s parents of her pregnancy (Stone, 2002). Michael would need to first found out if this is the case where he works. While maintaining this balance, he is also facing the most difficult issue for school counselors: confidentiality (Isaacs and Stone, 1999). There are many guidelines available to help counselors make these tough decisions, but in the end, it’s up to the counselor to decide, based on each student, the best course of action (Stone, 2002). Stone (2002) gives recommendations for school counselors who find themselves counseling pregnant students. In deciding what’s best for Jenny and if he should inform her parents, Michael must first determine the school board policy, as noted earlier. If his school board does not have such a policy, he should take into consideration Jenny’s age and developmental level. He should examine her reasoning and decision-making capabilities. If a student is less mature, telling their parents might be a bigger consideration. He must also consider if there are religious reasons as to why Jenny does not want to tell her mother about her pregnancy. This specific case does not mention religion; however it says that Jenny’s mother would not allow her to have an abortion if she were to find out about the pregnancy. This is important information for Michael to consider when determining parental rights in this situation. Next, Michael must consider the social context and Jenny’s race, ethnicity, sexual identity, and gender. As in any tough ethical dilemma case, Michael should consult with his supervisors. This will help him to look at the situation from all angles and he will gain advice from a trusted colleague. Similarly, Michael should ask himself what he would tell a colleague to do in this case. Michael should also be aware of his own personal beliefs and values. In this case, it states that he processes his feelings about teen pregnancy and abortion after the session, which is great. Acknowledging these will help him not to impose them onto Jenny. Finally, school counselors should refrain from getting involved in any kind of medical treatment related to their clients. School counselors must ask themselves what other counseling professionals would do in this case, outside of the school system (Stone, 2002). They must be ready to defend themselves and argue that that behaved in such a way that any other reasonable professional would have. It would also be important for Michael to determine if Jenny is in danger to herself or others (Glosoff and Pate, 2002). His decision to break confidentiality would likely rest on how dangerous he felt her situation to be (Isaacs and Stone, 1999). According to Isaacs and Stone (1999), counselors are more likely to break confidentiality overall in cases of abortion, but less so at the high school level. They suggest that counselors see abortion as more dangerous for younger students. However, this can change based on an individual students’ maturity level. At this point, it’s important for Michael to discuss the situation with Jenny more so that he may be able to better determine her maturity level, reasons her mother wouldn’t let her have an abortion, if she’s in danger of harming herself and others, and to help her work through her own feelings about keeping the baby, or not.  media type="file" key="TeenLitReview"  Glosoff, H. L., & Pate, R. H. (2002). Privacy and confidentiality in school counseling. //Professional School Counseling 6//(1), 20-27. Isaacs, M. L., & Stone, C. (1999). School counselors and confidentiality: Factors affecting professional choices. //Professional School Counseling, 2//(4). Stone, C. (2002). Negligence in academic advising and abortion counseling: Courts rulings and implications. //Professional School Counseling, 6//(1), p 28.