Raising a concern about someone else
Talk to them first where you safely can; escalate where you cannot
- RBT
- BCaBA
- BCBA
What the obligation is
When you see something that concerns you, the usual expectation is to address it directly with the person where doing so is appropriate and safe, then through your organisation, and to the certifying board where it is serious or unresolved. The board publishes guidance on when a formal notice is the right step, and it is deliberately not the first step for everything. Two situations override the gradual approach: anything involving danger to a person, and anything you are separately required by law to report, such as suspected abuse. Power matters here — a technician raising a concern about their own supervisor is not in the same position as a peer raising it, and organisations should have a route that does not run through the person concerned.
In plain language
Where it is safe, raise it with the person first, then your organisation. Go to the board for serious or unresolved problems. Danger and legal reports skip the queue.
What this looks like
- Asking a colleague directly about something you saw, before assuming the worst.
- Using your organisation's route when a direct conversation is not appropriate.
- Documenting what you observed factually and when.
- Going straight to the authorities where someone is at risk.
Where people get caught
- Staying silent because the person is senior to you.
- Discussing it with other colleagues rather than through a proper route.
- Filing formally over something a two-minute conversation would have resolved.
- Treating "handle it internally" as a reason not to make a legally required report.
If you are not sure
Ask your supervisor how to raise it, or if the concern is about your supervisor, ask whoever your organisation designates instead. Write down what you observed while it is fresh, in objective terms.
In the codes
- RBT Ethics Code (2.0) Section 1 — How you conduct yourself
- 1.01 Be honest, and do not lead others into dishonesty
- RBT Ethics Code (2.0) Section 2 — How you deliver services
- 2.06 Send questions and concerns to your supervisor
- 2.07 Act when a client's rights or safety are at risk
- Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts Section 1 — Your conduct as a professional
- 1.01 Be truthful, and build a setting where others can be
- 1.02 Follow the law and your professional requirements
On the exam
Terms used here
Situations where this comes up
Related topics
Written from
- bacb-ethics-code-2022 — Accountability and reporting
- bacb-rbt-ethics-code-2 — General responsibilities
Written from both codes' accountability standards and the board's published guidance on reporting alleged violations, in our own words.
This entry has not yet been through independent review. Treat it as a draft, and read the official code for anything that matters.