Challenges of Being an Advocate and Mediator

367 Words2 Pages
Ethical, Moral, and Legal Challenges in Mediation A mediator is lead by a core set values when it comes to decision making concerning right or wrong in a given situation with clients (Leviton and Greenstone, 1997). Even though the mediator is there to help the two parties to come into an agreement, the mediator is not the decision maker. As mentioned by Leviton and Greenstone, (1997) ethics are guidelines or principles of conduct that govern a person, based on the moral and values of culture. According to Kagle and Giebelhausen, (1994) professionals enter into dual relationships when they engage in more than one relationship with a client, becoming social worker and friend, employer, teacher, business associate, or sex partner. The main and most common ethical, moral, and legal challenge faced by professionals is sexual intimacy between the professional and a client. A nonsexual dual relationship includes building a relationship besides the client-professional relationship with a current or former client. As a mediator is a challenge to sustain calm and put aside his or her personal values and moral to maintain neutral. Integration of Advocacy and Mediation Mediation and Advocacy are viewed as methods of helping individuals negotiate. A mediator must maintain neutral and be nonjudgmental. It is belief that mediation satisfies people’s needs and interests (Barsky, 2007). To assume the role of a mediator, lawyers or social workers must suspend their orientation as advocates and become impartial facilitators (Barsky, 2007). While a mediator serves a neutral facilitator and tries to help two parties to come to an agreement, an advocate speaks on behalf of someone in a legal intervention. Planned Parenthood Plan Parenthood involves issues like abortion, birth control, teen safety, emergency contraception, sexual health education, and other tasks (Planned
Open Document