History

• The American Psychological Association's Ethics Code was first published in 1953. The document has been through several official changes and overhauls as the study of psychology has advanced. The current document (as of 2010) emerged in 2002, and replaced the 1992 version.
  
  

Principles

• The Ethics Code lays out five basic principles that psychologists must follow: Beneficence and Non-maleficence, Fidelity and Responsibility, Integrity, Justice, and Respect for People's Rights and Dignity.
  
  Broken down, the principles encourage professionals in the psychology world to uphold a standard of striving not to cause harm, to give the best treatment they are capable of, to be honest and professional and to do the right thing as dictated by law.
  
  

Confidentiality

• One integral, and widely discussed term of psychological treatment is the standard of confidentiality. It is an obligation for psychologists to keep all information shared with them confidential, with few exceptions. One exception is psychologists working with minors, who have been brought in by a parent or guardian. In these cases, a psychologist is likely to include parents in the process that would be private for an adult. Psychologists also can come across a situation where their client is in danger. For instance, if a client has threatened suicide or some other emergency arises, there might be cause to disclose information to other parties.
  
  

Benefits

• The Ethics Code can ultimately be utilized to protect psychologists who abide by it. Psychology can be highly subjective. In cases where a psychologist's methods are questioned, going back to the code can help colleagues or courts make fair assessments about the course of treatment by referring to specific guidelines instead of going with what seems right.
  
  

Legality

• If a situation arises where the Ethics Code conflicts with the law, the law takes precedence. The document itself is not used as a finite legal rulebook as much as an example of appropriateness, but in matters where rules do not seem black and white, psychologists keep their commitment to the code as much as possible. Failure to adhere to the guidelines of the Ethics Code can lead to a psychologist losing her license to practice.