Kopels (1992) contributed to ethical discussions by arguing that school social workers should acknowledge what about their client responsibilities?

• A. A single primary client
• B. The school administration
• C. Multiplicity of clients receiving ethical obligations
• D. The community at large

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that school social workers must recognize they have ethical duties to multiple clients, not just one. Kopels argued for acknowledging a multiplicity of clients who carry ethical obligations in the school context—the student, the family, school staff and administration, and even the broader community that is affected by the student’s well-being and success. This perspective reflects how social work ethics center on serving all those influenced by practice, and it requires careful balancing of potentially competing needs and rights.

In practice, this means decisions aren’t made from a single-client lens. Confidentiality and consent become more nuanced because information may affect several stakeholders, and what benefits the student might differ from what benefits the family or the school. It also highlights the reality of role conflicts or dual relationships within a school setting, where protecting one client’s interests might clash with another’s, requiring thoughtful ethical deliberation, transparency, and boundary management. The other choices miss this broader, interconnected view of responsibility and thus don’t capture Kopels’s emphasis on multiple clients with ethical obligations.