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This article presents the results of a study on the unprofessional conduct of school social workers who have been sanctioned by state regulatory boards (boards of education and licensing boards). The data represent information from 14 states and the District of Columbia. Results indicate that school social workers are rarely sanctioned at the state level. State licensing boards sanctioned more social workers who practice in school settings than did state departments of education. When state departments of education reported sanctioning social workers, the cases were most frequently related to child pornography and dual sexual relationships. State licensing boards were more likely to sanction school social workers in less serious cases, with dispositions that included suspensions, probation, supervision, and written reprimands. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings and suggestions for further research.

This article presents the results of a descriptive study, synthesizing the reports of 27 state regulatory boards about their actions against certified and licensed social workers (N = 874) during the period of 1999 to 2004. The purpose of this study was to examine the unprofessional behavior of certified and licensed social workers, the results of which can inform the education and training of social workers and help protect the public. The most frequent violations were dual relationships, license-related problems, problems with basic practice, crimes, and practice below specific standards of care. State regulatory boards typically sanctioned social workers with letters of reprimand, revoked certificates or licenses, imposed probation or instituted the supervision of practice, and accepted the social workers' surrender of their licenses.

When the National Association of Social Workers (1999) ratified the Code of Ethics in 2000, it was an acknowledgement that dual relationships can be part of sound social work practice. The educational materials that are available to educators do not move sufficiently beyond a risk-reduction approach to dual relationships to an assessment of how a dual relationship can be assessed and ethically maintained. This article presents discussion on the practice and cultural issues that influence dual relationships in various environments, reviews the materials available to social work educators, and describes how social work educators can train students for making more complex assessments of potential dual relationships. The article includes recommendations for problem-solving models that are applicable to the complexity of dual relationship assessment and recommends more descriptive vocabulary to assist in contextualizing discussions about dual relationships. (Contains 2 tables.)

The regulation of social workers through the awarding of certificates and licenses is predicated in large part on the recognition that states have responsibilities to protect the public. This article presents the results of a study of the perceptions of social work educators and administrators from CSWE accredited programs (n = 710) about their state regulatory boards (n = 47). A survey measured opinions in two domains: (1) boards' efficacy in performing their professional licensing functions related to issuing certificates and licenses, and (2) their public protection efforts. Overall, educators rated their regulatory boards positively, and social work educators with a certificate or license significantly rated their boards higher in both domains. Educators in many states differentially evaluated their boards' effectiveness in board functions and public protection efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]