On Confidentiality : the Professional Ethical Code and its Responsibility of Clinical Psychologists in Schools

This paper is to discuss some issues of confidentiality in school counseling in consideration of the professional ethical code and its responsibility of clinical psychologists. It has been more than 100 years that the system of public education started. A society of diplomaism has driven the Japanese people to making much of higher educational background, so called a Complex of too much academic careers from since then. It may be true that the number of non attendance at school children has increased on the background of this Complex. It is took a serious view that not the individuality but the collective bonds in schools under the stereotyped egalitarianism. Reflecting the bad effect of the Japanese egalitarianism, the visiting counselor project was kicked off in order to 'discover the individuality in schools' in 1995. This project, it having been for nine years, does well as a whole. But the conflict between teachers and counselors is outstanding in regard to confidentiality, one of some difficulties in this project, which clinical psychologists must comply with on cooperation with teachers. A suggestive opinion about the possibility of the cooperation with teachers is to be indicated in this paper, from a view point of 'collective confidentiality' or 'confidentiality within colleagues'. The last is to consider the ethical code and its responsibility which is one of the important factors of professionalism. We must make much of the responsibility which is indispensable upon complying with ethics as confidentiality