|
Many believe a good case can be made for the inclusion of ethics training in any criminal justice profession particularly in the police service no matter which police organisation it is or where it is situated internationally.
This view does bear examination as there are many that express concern as to the usefulness of ethics training or education in any kind of professional training program or academic course.
A good starting point for discussion is to ask “Does ethics training work?” “Can ethics be taught?” Any person who teaches ethics should presumably be an expert or have a very sound background in studying ethics to be able to provide learning opportunities for students in ethical decision making during ethics training. But is there such a thing as “right” answers when solving ethical dilemmas? Infinite wisdom in ethics is not possible therefore it is wiser to facilitate the learning of ethics during ethics training by a knowledgeable and skilled facilitator or trainer. By providing case studies involving ethical dilemmas in the work place and the use of astute de briefing skills an artful trainer will be able to create a lot of discussion and tease out values based decisions reached by the students. Reflecting on organisational values or ethical codes the trainer can show a path in which to walk upon but whether we choose to take that path or another is an individual choice.
EthicsinPolicing Ltd have carried out research into the impact ethics training has on the individual and organisation based on over 1400 students whom have undergone ethics training in both the United Kingdom and United States of America. Initial finding have shown that most students are willing to change their working practices and challenge what they would regard as unethical behaviour or practice in the future. Significantly this research highlighted that ethics training influenced junior managers more than other posts.
|
