Free ASWB Exam Practice Question

Missed us? We're back. Here's a quick practice question based upon new material in the 2018 NASW Code of Ethics. With enough practice, you'll be ready to pass the ASWB exam faster than you may think! So answer this:

A client tells a social worker that she's being stalked online by an ex-boyfriend and asks the social worker to add her on Facebook so the social worker can see for herself. How should the social worker proceed?

A. Temporarily add the client on Facebook for the time it takes to witness the harassment.

B. Explain to the client that it's not ethical for social workers to collect collateral information on clients via social media. 

C. Refuse the Facebook request, and instead ask the client to print out evidence of harassment.

D. Politely refuse the Facebook friend request and ask the client to describe the harassment in detail. 

What do you think?

Scroll down for our answer.





















The updated code has some guidance here. This is from the Conflicts of Interest section:

(h) Social workers should avoid accepting requests from or engaging in personal relationships with clients on social networking sites or other electronic media to prevent boundary confusion, inappropriate dual relationships, or harm to clients.

Given that, let's take the answers one at a time:

A. Temporarily add the client on Facebook for the time it takes to witness the harassment.

Adding the client on Facebook, even temporarily and for clinically defensible reasons, risks changing the nature of the social worker-client relationship--it's also unnecessary here.

B. Explain to the client that it's not ethical for social workers to collect collateral information on clients via social media. 

The Code of Ethics states:

Social workers should avoid searching or gathering client information electronically unless there are compelling professional reasons, and when appropriate, with the client’s informed consent.

Avoid mean avoid; it doesn't mean never, ever do it. It is ethical in some cases to collect collateral information about clients on the net.

C. Refuse the Facebook request, and instead ask the client to print out evidence of harassment.

This is an old-fashioned solution. Why not just ask the client to show the social worker on her phone (assuming she has one)? But old-fashioned or not, it's the best of the offered answers here. C is correct.

D. Politely refuse the Facebook friend request and ask the client to describe the harassment in detail. 

For whatever reason, it is important to the client for the social worker to see the harassment, not just hear about it. Refusing the Facebook request and refusing to look at the harassment altogether is unnecessary and risks rupturing the client-social worker relationship.

How'd you do? We'll have more practice here in the future. And, of course, there's lots and lots (and lots) of practice available elsewhere (check out SWTP).

Good luck with the exam!