English Edition - Episode 31: The Distance Between Us and Crime—Trust, Risk, and the Duty to Protect

“The ‘duty to protect’has recently become a very sensitive phrase.”For some helping professionals,just hearing the termmay trigger defensiveness, anxiety, or emotional exhaustion.And underneath those reactions,there may be deeper fears:“What if one day, something happens…and I suddenly become the defendant?”“Can helping professionalsstill trust people?”Lee-san and Pammeiwant to share some reflections—from hospital experience,long years of social work practice,and legal perspectives—about the relationship between social workand the concept of the duty to protect.Some people believethat the most important part of helping workis companionship.But what exactly is companionship?And how is it different from professional practice?“Companionship helps people feel safe enough to speak.Professionalism means knowingwhen listening alone is not enough.”“True professionalism requiresrisk awareness, crisis assessment, judgment,and sometimes the courageto make unpopular decisions.”Not simply “staying beside someone.”So let’s try to explain the “duty to protect”in plain language.From a legal perspective,the questions are usually something like this:Did the professional hold a duty to protect this client?Did they reasonably fulfill that duty?And if not, did that failure contribute to harm?…Okay.That still sounds complicated.So maybe we can say it more simply:During the helping process, did the primary worker:Actually intervene?Recognize the risk?Have the ability to respond?But fail to take action?Some professionals may feel worried and ask:“So are we expected to prevent every tragedy?”No.The law is not asking helping professionalsto become superheroes.The question is:When risk appeared,did we do what should reasonably have been done?Did we follow SOPs?Did we complete mandatory reporting?Did we leave professional documentation?Did we conduct risk assessment and transfer risk appropriately when needed?Helping professions teach us to trust.But trustmust never mean blind trust.It must be trustgrounded in professional judgment.Because the thing that truly destroys professionalismis not suspicion—it is blind trust without assessment.And maybe this is the most important point:The “duty to protect”does not arise simply because we are social workers.It arises because,in that particular moment,we are standing in a positionwhere we may be the only person capable of responding.Share your thoughts on this episode here: https://open.firstory.me/user/cmcihfnnk06ig01xec5jf5a4w/commentsOr drop me an email—tell me what color the ocean is today… (just kidding~)[email protected]’ve also got a Facebook & IG page now, so don’t forget to like and follow!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579195030101”Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msw.nosecrets/這一集是中文版第 31 集「 我們與罪的距離~信任、風險與保證人地位 」的英文版。#醫務社工不藏私#MSWNosecrets#MSWひみつなし Powered by Firstory Hosting