Preparing for the ASWB exam means knowing where ethical lines are not just blurry—but absolutely clear. Section 2.07 of the NASW Code of Ethics is one of those lines. It establishes that sexual harassment is always unethical, no matter the context, setting, or perceived intent.

Here’s the full standard:

2.07 Sexual Harassment
Social workers should not sexually harass supervisees, students, trainees, or colleagues. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances; sexual solicitation; requests for sexual favors; and other verbal, written, electronic, or physical contact of a sexual nature.

What It Means in Practice

Sexual harassment is more than just “bad behavior”—it’s an abuse of power, a violation of trust, and a serious ethical breach. Whether the contact is overt (like unwanted touching) or more subtle (suggestive texts, implied favors), it harms individuals and damages the professional climate.

Key Guidelines

  • No sexual behavior or communication—ever—with supervisees, students, or colleagues that could be seen as coercive or inappropriate

  • This includes:

    • In-person behavior

    • Digital or text-based messages

    • Jokes, innuendo, or repeated comments about appearance

  • Power imbalance intensifies the ethical violation

  • Intent doesn’t matter—impact and context do

Practice Question

You might see this topic show up on the licensing exam like this:

A social worker supervises two interns. One day, the social worker texts one of them a suggestive meme followed by, “Hope you don’t mind a little humor!” The intern feels uncomfortable but unsure how to respond. What should the social worker have done instead?

A. Avoid sending messages that could be perceived as sexual or suggestive in any context

B. Apologize since the intern has explicitly expressed discomfort

C. Explain the message was a joke and not meant to offend

D. Send memes to all interns to avoid favoritism

Even seemingly casual digital comments can be harassment if they carry sexual content. The social worker must avoid all such communications. Narrowing down: B puts the burden on the intern to speak up; C centers intent, not ethical responsibility; D amplifies the problem under the guise of fairness. The correct answer is A.

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June 16, 2025
Categories :
  ethics  
  practice  
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