Journal of Social Development in Africa (2000), 15,1,109-111 
Book Reviews 
Social Work Ethics on the Line, Charles S. Levy, The Haworlh Press, Inc. (1993), 
New York, ISBN 1-56024-282-5 hb,124 pp inc index, price: US$25.95. 
Social Work on the Line discusses the justification and premise for social work 
ethics. It captures the need for codifying ethics and enunciates a paradigm for 
making ethical judgements. Furthermore, it sets precedences for ethical judgements 
and evaluation. Finally, the author calls for broadcasts of ethics to social 
work professionals and students. 
It is the author's assertion that, privatisation of services promotes profitable selfinterest 
over community service, thus diminishing the traditional public and 
agency-sanctioned practice safeguards. Modern technology, on the other hand, 
alters levels and standards of professional services, putting the application of 
values to severe test, hence compounding ethical problems. The need to regulate 
and control the behaviour of social workers therefore becomes imperative. 
Dr Levy implores social work organisations to codify ethics to which their 
members subscribe, and publicly declare the ethics to which their members are said 
to be collectively committed and what these ethics may expect of them, thus 
engendering professionalism. The author's assertions emit signals to social work 
associations seeking to uphold credible professional status, effective service and 
practice; to develop codes of ethics, to act as benchmarks for the enforcement of 
social work ethics and adjudication of any ethical conduct complaints. 
Social Work on the Line proposes a model for ethical decision-making and 
evaluation demonstrated in twenty-four vignettes, representing occurrences common 
to social work practice. The package serves as a handy manual for both social 
work practice and practice control procedures. The vignettes clearly enunciate 
dilemmas in practice affecting ethical conduct, and arc invaluable as a framework 
for social work practice, supervision, administration, community work, and 
education. 
This book provides an important guide to both social work educators and 
practitioners and also provides essential literature for social work students. 
Reviewed by Helen Tapfumaneyi (MSW), President National Association of Social 
Workers, Zimbabwe, Army Social Services, P Bag 7720, Causeway.