Analysis of Ethical Risks in Interactions within Professional Networking Communities for Helping Professionals

The paper explores the ethical risks associated with the practices of online psychologists within a professional network community, utilizing an automated method of data collection and speech intention analysis. The automated content analysis provided a description of the characteristics of digital assistance discourse and the ethical dilemmas it entails, such as the inevitable multiple relationships, blurred professional boundaries, and breaches of confidentiality. The virtual self-presentations of psychologists were assessed in line with current ethical codes, leading to the identification of ethical risks associated with the use of manipulative and suggestive speech techniques. The practical significance of the findings lies in their potential application across various areas including the development of tools for analyzing and monitoring professional psychological communication on the Internet, the establishment of professional communication standards to ensure the safety of potential clients within online psychological communities, and deontological regulation in accordance with the ethical norms of the psychologists’ association to which the specialist belongs.