Chiropractic leadership in the eradication of sexual abuse

Health practitioners work under fiduciary constraint, and are obligated to favour patient needs over all others and in particular their own. The principles of professionalism demand that professionals take great care to ensure that boundaries are maintained safely to provide an optimal setting in facilitating patient care. Boundary violations cause serious harm to the patient. Any romantic or sexual activity between parties is the most serious form of boundary violation. The chiropractic profession is included in the list of disciplines which are at an increased risk for boundary violations. The authors propose a four stage protocol which is designed to offer all parties maximal protection beginning with undergraduate professional education and then mandatory continuing education for registrants in professional practice. The protocol would affect all aspects of professional life including training in boundaries and jurisdictional regulation.