• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.5-28
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• 2008

This study tried to develop an test tool of social workers' ethical sensitivity(SWEST) on base of realization about the importance of ethical sensitivity of social worker who are required more ethicalities than the other professionals. Nevertheless, there has been no tool that can measure ethical sensitivity of social workers in our country up to now. Through analysis of existing ethical sensitivity tests in other professions, a paper and pencil method about unstructured question with cases including ethical issues and structured scoring system was chosen as an appropriate method for the SWEST. This study progressed in order : 1st collecting cases, 2nd composing cases, 3rd consulting cases, 4th pilot study, 5th making scoring standards, 6th determining case examples and scoring standards. With the result, the tool consists of 3 case examples with ethical issues : 1) self-determination and confidentiality, 2) equality and double relationship, 3) informed consent and conflict interest. And ethical sensitivities of social work major students and social workers were measured with the SWEST, to see practical utility of this test. The agreement degrees between two independent raters were above 90%. And respondent's ethical sensitivity displayed the most definite difference according to taking or not taking a course 'Social work values and ethics'. Through these results, it can be drawn that the SWEST is reliable and valid to test relevant differences in Korean social workers' ethical sensitivity. The SWEST is expected to activate studying, educating, and practicing ethics in social work.