Ethics may be defined as:

• A. Conduct and decision-making that demonstrates value and respect for all people
• B. Devising policies and procedures
• C. A focus on personal benefit
• D. Strict compliance with laws

Answer: (A)

Ethics in CHW practice means letting core values guide every interaction and decision, ensuring each person is treated with dignity and respect. This goes beyond just following laws or organizational rules; it’s about choices that honor autonomy, privacy, fairness, and the well-being of clients and communities. The description that conduct and decision-making demonstrate value and respect for all people best captures this, because ethics is about consistently acting in ways that reflect those values for everyone you encounter. Policies and procedures are important for guiding work, but they describe rules of the organization, not the personal, value-driven stance you bring to practice. Focusing on personal benefit is not aligned with ethical conduct, which centers on others’ needs and rights. Strict compliance with laws matters, but ethics asks what should be done when legal requirements don’t fully address a situation or when doing what’s right goes beyond what the law mandates. In practice, this means respecting client choices, protecting confidentiality, avoiding discrimination, and acting with cultural humility to support the dignity and rights of each person.