The crisis of pedagogy and the potentials of professional ethics

Abstract

This paper deals with professional ethics in the context of cases of sexual violence against children and young people by pedagogical professionals in Germany. On the basis of two contrary theoretical concepts of professional ethics in social science by Andrew Abbott and Sarah Banks, the relevance of professional ethics in the current debate about sexual violence is traced. It becomes apparent that ethics is indeed one actual reference point for crisis management in the light of the widespread failed actions in the pedagogical field. And it can be observed that formal prescriptions are dominating in the current debate. In order to prevent sexual violence formal ethic codes are rather restrictive and include obligatory codes of conduct for pedagogues. In contrast, there are hardly any reference points that start off from the motivational and experiential background of the pedagogical professionals aiming at an ethical work of the individual pedagogue. For a critical reflection on the current concepts of professional ethics concerning sexual violence in pedagogical contexts the paper refers also to the considerations of the moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt. The paper ends with a plea for an interplay between prescriptive and enabling forms of professional ethics as a response to the crisis of pedagogy elicited by cases of sexual violence in schools and social work.