Ethics Alive! Silence Is Not Golden - Advocating for Social Justice and Responding to Retaliation
by Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD
As social workers, we have an ethical duty to advocate for social justice (NASW Code of Ethics, 2021, Part 6). In pursuit of social justice, we may challenge dishonesty, corruption, racism, sexism, transphobia, heterosexism, ableism, fascism, and other forms of discrimination and oppression (Barsky, 2023). We may also resist authoritarianism, book banning, and other abuses of power. In many situations, advancing social justice is not without challenges and risks.
When speaking truth to power, for instance, those in power may retaliate against us. If we blow the whistle on illegal or unethical behavior within the organizations that employ us, we may risk discipline, hostility, being fired, and other forms of retaliation (Khan et al., 2022). Supervisors or co-workers may allege that we are malicious, dishonest, or mentally unstable, making us feel stigmatized and devalued (Kenny et al., 2019). If we raise concerns about the policies of governments in power, they may respond by lashing out, insulting us, defunding our programs, or inflicting other forms of punishment. If we engage in nonviolent protests and rallies, police officers may respond with arrests or violence.
Ideally, when we promote social justice, we do so in a respectful and constructive manner. We strive for change through dialogue, listening to one another with empathy, presenting solid evidence and reasoning, and engaging in rational problem-solving and collaborative conflict resolution (Barsky, 2017). We want to make more friends and allies for our cause, not more enemies. Still, speaking up for what is right comes with various perils.
Given that speaking up and advocating for social justice comes with risk, we need the moral courage to act. Moral courage is the strength to do what is right even though we may face backlash or other forms of harm (Strom, n.d.). Although our parents may have told us many times to stay out of trouble, staying out of trouble may mean that we are not fulfilling our mission as advocates for social change. As the late John Lewis, congressman and civil rights advocate, stated, “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble” (cited in Hayden, 2020).
Getting into trouble may be a sign that we are doing good. However, getting into trouble does not mean that we need to suffer without taking appropriate steps for self-care, survival, and growth. When we are aware that our actions may lead to retaliation, we need to prepare before acting, we need to act with prudence, and we need to respond to retaliation in a strategic manner.
Preparing for Possible Retaliation
The problem-solving approach to social work is a planned process in which social workers make deliberate choices about how to engage with clients, communities, or others in a series of stages geared toward facilitating positive change (Hepworth et al., 2022). When engaging in advocacy for social justice, the first step is not advocating, but rather, assessing the situation. What are our concerns about social justice? Who is affected, and how are they affected? What are our goals? Who might participate in helping us achieve these goals? How can we engage them? What interventions are most likely to lead to good results? What are the risks of the interventions? What can we do to maximize the chance of positive outcomes and mitigate the risks of retaliation, punishment, or other negative outcomes?
A key strategy in advocacy is “do not act alone.” Find partners, allies, community leaders, advocacy groups, advisors, and organizations that can provide various types of support (e.g., moral, tangible, legal, and financial). If I’m planning to engage in legislative advocacy, I may benefit from working with individuals and groups who have greater expertise and experience than I have. If I’m planning to organize a public demonstration or rally, I can benefit from working with attorneys, community organizers, media, and others with expertise in public demonstrations. Identify and support allies within your organizations and communities. There is power and safety in numbers.
Documentation is another key strategy to mitigate the risks of social advocacy interventions. Document what you are doing, why, and how. When planning a public demonstration, invite media, neutral observers, or other eyewitnesses to watch and take notes or videos to document the conduct of participants, as well as the responses of law enforcement. When advocating with a supervisor or director from your organization, consider inviting a colleague, union official, or attorney to join you in the meeting. Take notes on meetings. Keep records of key contacts and communications. Document how you are following agency policies and laws. Document specific examples when others violate policies or laws.
Acting With Prudence
Prudence refers to acting with care, caution, and good judgment. Prudence does not mean avoiding all risk; it does mean assessing the possible benefits and risks of various courses of action and choosing how to act based on all the relevant criteria. It may not be worth risking your job over a relatively small issue. It may be worthwhile, however, when the issues are more consequential (Kenny et al., 2019).
It is also important to consider which means of advocacy should be attempted first. If I am concerned that my supervisor is discriminating against certain clients, for instance, I might schedule a private meeting to discuss these concerns in a confidential, educative manner. I would not go to the executive director or go outside the agency to address the issue until I first try to resolve the issues privately with the supervisor.
Understand and follow the agency’s policies and procedures. If your workplace is unionized, for instance, it may have particular steps for raising grievances or concerns. If your workplace is governed by a whistleblowers protection act (United States Department of Labor, n.d.), then seek advice on how to follow the procedures of this legislation. If you are planning to speak with the media or write your own article, research whether there are any limitations on what you can say or how you can say it. For instance, you may be prohibited from speaking on behalf of your organization, but you may be permitted to speak as an individual (on your own behalf). Even when you are speaking on your own behalf, you may choose your words wisely to help advance your cause without inflaming the conflict or antagonizing the very people whose support you are seeking.
Responding to Retaliation
Just as it is important to be prepared for how to advocate, it is also crucial to be prepared for how to respond to retaliation. Retaliation may lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression, and fear (Kenny et al., 2019). When supervisors, government officials, or others threaten our jobs and reputations, we may feel defensive. Be cautious about responding out of anger or fear. Find someone with whom you can consult: a professional peer, a supportive colleague, or someone who specializes in helping people respond to retaliation. Explore whether there are processes within your workplaces or communities to help you respond to retaliation (e.g., through the office of a government ombudsman, congressional representative, union, human rights organization, or professional association).
Remain professional, reliable, truthful, and ethical. Continue to take the moral high road. Remind yourself of your good intentions and courage to act. Engage in self-care (e.g., good nutrition, sleep, recreation, exercise, mindfulness meditation, workplace balance, consultation, counseling, and so forth; Grise-Owens, & Fleming-Trice, 2022). Be prepared for how to manage conflict and stress over the long term. Some processes may take months or years to resolve.
Consider various alternatives for conflict resolution. If you are harassed and fired without cause, you could go to court to pursue damages for intentional infliction of mental distress and wrongful termination. Alternatively, you might consider mediation, conciliation, or other nonadversarial processes that may be faster and less stressful. Focus on corrective action. Rather than seeking vengeance, seek compensation, restoration of your job, or other forms of restitution.
Others may try to get you to trip up, to say something or do something that gets you in trouble. Maintain your composure. Breathe. Pause for self-care. Nurture and access your support systems. Continue to document your actions and those of people who may not have your best interests at heart. If you experience retaliation for taking action for social justice, take heart. You are in good company with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Malala Yousafzai, Ida B. Wells, Ernestine Eckstein, X Gonzalez, and Mickey Mouse (when the Disney corporation spoke up about Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay Act,” the government said it would take away its special tax status).
Silence Is Not Golden
When it comes to advocacy for social justice, silence is not golden. People often equate silence with acceptance of the status quo. If we see a situation that is unfair or unjust, we need to say something and do something (Hayden, 2020). As advocates for social justice, we may collaborate and agitate for change. At the same time, we need to be mindful and strategic. By preparing for possible pushback and retaliation, we are more likely to succeed for the people and communities we serve, as well as for ourselves.
References
Barsky, A. E. (2017). Conflict resolution for the helping professions. Oxford University Press.
Barsky, A. E. (2023). Essential ethics for social work practice. Oxford University Press.
Grise-Owens, E., & Fleming-Trice, T. (2022). Self-care A-Z: Self-care for humans. The New Social Worker. https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/self-care/self-care-for-humans
Hayden, C. (2020). Remembering John Lewis: The power of ‘good trouble.’ Library of Congress. https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/07/remembering-john-lewis-the-power-of-good-trouble/#:~:text=And%20I've%20been%20getting,and%20discipline%20of%20non%2Dviolence
Hepworth, D., Rooney, R., & Larsen, J. (2022). Direct social work practice (11th ed.). Cengage.
Kenny, K., Fotaki, M. & Scriver, S. (2019). Mental health as a weapon: Whistleblower retaliation and normative violence. Journal of Business Ethics, 160, 801–815. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3868-4
Khan, J., Saeed, I., Zada, M., Ali, A., Contreras-Barraza, N., Salazar-Sepúlveda., G., & Vega-Muñoz, A. (2022). Examining whistleblowing intention: The influence of rationalization on wrongdoing and threat of retaliation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3),1752. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031752
National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2021). Code of ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics
National Association of Social Workers – New York State Chapter. (n.d.). This is social work history. https://naswnys.org/thisissocialworkhistory
Strom, K. (n.d.). Moral courage (PowerPoint presentation), North Carolina Employee Assistance Professionals Association. https://www.eapa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Kim-Strom-Goffried-Moral-Courage-PPT-Presentation-Handouts.pdf
United States Department of Labor. (n.d.). Whistleblower protections. https://www.whistleblowers.gov/
Allan Barsky, PhD, JD, MSW, is Professor of Social Work at Florida Atlantic University and author of Social Work Values and Ethics (Oxford University Press).
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of any of the organizations to which the author is affiliated, or the views of The New Social Worker magazine or White Hat Communications.