BREAKING THE SILENCE AS STUDENTS IN BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

By: Mikayla Courteau, Molly Lenmark, and Yalibeth Rivera

Edited by: Dr. Odessa Luna

“Every silence has a consequence.” — Jean-Paul Sartre

In applied behavior analysis (ABA), ethical decision-making is a cornerstone of professional practice. Most students that are involved in the ABA field are trained in how to maintain ethical relationships, set boundaries, or respond to uncomfortable situations with stakeholders. Sometimes those boundaries that were previously made clear to students may become ignored over time. For example, a student in training may notice a fellow co-worker following current clients in their care on social media. To the naïve observer, this may not seem like an issue, but what could happen if this relationship builds into more? Perhaps the parents wish to exchange personal numbers or have the student start watching the client outside of clinical hours. Would it be easier to report this case to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) or ignore it? Why do people often pick the easiest route instead of the correct one? Behavior analysts are responsible for protecting client welfare, maintaining professional integrity, and promoting evidence-based services. Yet, ethical concerns are not always addressed when they arise. Students, supervisees, registered behavior technicians (RBTs), and even experienced professionals may recognize situations that seem unethical, such as multiple relationships, but choose not to speak up. Understanding why ethical silence occurs and how to overcome it is essential for creating a culture of accountability in applied behavior analysis (ABA).

Defining Ethical Silence

We define ethical silence when an individual identifies a potential ethical issue but fails to address it. Ethical silence can also be referred to as a reluctance to speak up about organizational issues or share information in an organization (Hao 2022, as cited in Knoll and Dick 2013). Within ABA, concerns may involve client treatment, supervision practices, confidentiality breaches, inaccurate data collection, multiple relationships, or professional misconduct. Although an individual may recognize that something is wrong, they may hesitate to speak up due to fear, uncertainty, or discomfort.

Why Students May Stay Silent

Silence is often driven by uncertainty, fear, and assumptions that someone else will address the problem. New practitioners and students may question whether what they observed truly constitutes an ethical issue. They may feel they lack the experience or knowledge necessary to challenge a supervisor, professor, or colleague. Individuals may worry that speaking up could damage professional relationships, result in negative evaluations, limit career opportunities, or create conflict within the workplace (Guo et al., 2021). In some situations, people remain silent because they believe their concerns will not be taken seriously or because they fear retaliation from individuals in positions of authority.

Ethical decision-making is influenced by environmental and organizational variables, including workplace culture and supervisory practices (Rosenberg & Schwartz, 2019). When concerns are dismissed or discouraged, individuals may become less likely to report future issues. For example, an individual may encounter someone breaking ethical code and report it but after reporting it their co-workers avoid them. This could create tension between co-workers, supervisors and potentially clients. Without clear protections against reprimands or discrimination for reporting ethical concerns, professionals (e.g. RBTs, ABA students, supervisors) and organizations may unintentionally discourage reporting and perpetuate ethical silence.

The Impact of Positions of Power and Students

The dynamic of students and other stakeholders in positions of power often play a major role in whether individuals feel comfortable reporting concerns. Within ABA, students may feel intimidated by professors, supervisees may hesitate to question their supervisors, and employees may fear challenging organizational leaders. These relationships create an imbalance of authority that can discourage open communication.

Students may worry that reporting concerns will affect recommendations, supervision experiences, performance evaluations, or employment opportunities. Consequently, concerns may go unreported even when client welfare is involved. This is particularly concerning because clients often rely on professionals to advocate for their best interests.

Psychological safety, the belief that one can speak up without fear of punishment or humiliation, has been identified as a critical factor in promoting open communication and ethical behavior (Newman et al., 2017). When organizations foster psychological safety, individuals are more likely to ask questions, seek clarification, and report concerns when they arise. Creating environments where feedback is welcomed can reduce barriers created by power differentials and encourage ethical action.

Avoiding Silence and Engaging in Action as Students

The BACB Ethics Code encourages behavior analysts to engage in ongoing ethical decision-making and to take steps to resolve concerns responsibly. Ethical action requires courage, particularly when concerns involve individuals in positions of authority. However, acting helps ensure that professional standards are maintained and that client welfare remains the highest priority.

As Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Within ABA, student breaking silence is not an option. It is a responsibility to our clients, stakeholders, and community. We urge you to take on that responsibility by speaking out on questionable practices observed and contribute to an honest ethical field.

Image Credits

Image 1. 

Romero, N. (2020). Speak Up Show Up. Upsplash. https://unsplash.com/@nickromero?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText

Image 2.

Adapted from the digital article Ethical considerations in ABA: Maintaining Dignity and respect for clients

BlueGems ABA. (2025, January 31). Ethical considerations in aba: Maintaining dignity and respect for clients. https://bluegemsaba.com/ethical-considerations-in-aba/

AI Statement: This draft was grammatically checked with the support of AI tools such as Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. No imagery in this draft was created using generative AI.  The AI output was reviewed for accuracy, relevance, and editorial quality prior to publication. All authors assume responsibility for its content. No generative AI was used in the creation of this article.

References

Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2020). Ethics code for behavior analysts.https://bacb.com/wp-content/ethics-code-for-behavior-analysts/

Guo, L., Mao, J., Chiang, J., Wang, Z., & Chen, L. (2021). Working hard or hardly working? How supervisors liking of employees’ affects interpretations of employees’ working overtime and performance ratings. Asia Pacific journal of management, 38(4), 1561-1586. https://researchebscocom.scsuproxy.mnpals.net/c/knr377/viewer/pdf/f5ogb7pl4n?route=details

Hao, L., Zhu, H., He, Y., Duan, J., Zhao, T., & Meng, H. (2022). When is Silence Golden? A meta-analysis on antecedents and outcomes of employee silence. Journal of business and psychology, 37(5), 1039-1063. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10869-021-09788-7

Newman, A., Donohue, R., & Eva, N. (2017). Psychological safety: A systematic review of the literature. Human Resource Management Review, 27(3), 521 -535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.01.001

Rosenberg, N. E., & Schwartz, J. (2019). Guidance or compliance: What makes an ethical behavior analyst? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12(2), 473–482. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-00276-3