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Research on clergy sexual misconduct has identified challenges regarding boundaries and dual relationships in congregational life. This article reviews these challenges and suggests that both congregational social workers and pastors should refrain from assuming the role of therapist with members of the congregation they lead. It provides a sample code of ethics for religious leaders.
Key Words: dual relationships, professional boundaries, pastoral care, pastoral counseling, congregational social work, ethics, fiduciary responsibility
EVERY HUMAN INTERACTION INVOLVES INTERPRETATIONS OF ROLES and interpersonal boundaries. These roles and boundaries dictate appropriate versus inappropriate behavior between a person and family, friends, co-workers, and professionals, ultimately helping society to create a sense of structure and expectations for social interactions. However, when an individual functions in multiple roles with another person, the interpersonal boundaries can become ambiguous. When a professional has more than one role with another person - for example, as both a friend and teacher, or as a doctor and next-door neighbor - the professional is in a "dual relationship."
Social workers wrestle with crossing, or at least approaching, the boundaries between professional and personal roles in determining when to accept a gift from a client, benefit financially through association with a client, or socialize with a client. When one or more clients participate in even some of the most common social situations with a professional, such as sharing a cup of coffee or attending a Bible study class, it can become a difficult balancing act for professionals who value the maintenance of professional boundaries.
Jackson (2004) distinguishes between boundary crossings and boundary violations, and suggests that boundary crossings may be unavoidable or even helpful. Engaging in a casual social relationship with a client in a congregational setting is such a boundary crossing, although it requires careful management and may become a violation if the social worker is a Bible study leader and the client j oins the group as a way to establish a closer personal relationship with the social worker. For clients who want friendship or love from the social worker, even minor boundary crossings can create unwarranted expectations.
These boundary crossings can become problematic, especially in communities where they are virtually unavoidable (Reamer, 2001). A social worker may find out that a former client is...