These answers draw in part from “Technician WORKSHOP #2: Ethics in Action: Real-World Tools for RBTs” by Emily Patrizi, M.S., BCBA (BehaviorLive), and extend it with peer-reviewed research from our library of 27,900+ ABA research articles. Clinical framing, BACB ethics code references, and cross-links below are synthesized by Behaviorist Book Club.
View the original presentation →The BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (2022) applies to BCBAs, BCaBAs, and applicants for those certifications. It covers the full scope of behavior-analytic practice including service delivery, supervision, teaching, research, and public statements. The RBT Ethics Code (2.0) is a separate document that applies specifically to RBTs and focuses on their responsibilities within their defined scope of practice — implementing programs designed by supervisors, maintaining client dignity, upholding confidentiality, and reporting concerns through appropriate channels. Both require ethical conduct, but the obligations are calibrated to the respective roles.
When caregivers ask RBTs for clinical recommendations — what to do about a specific behavior, whether to try a different approach, why the BCBA made a particular decision — the RBT should redirect the conversation to the supervising BCBA. A clear and practiced response might be: 'That's a great question for your BCBA, and I'll make sure they know you want to discuss it. I'm here to implement the program we've designed together.' Providing clinical recommendations is outside the RBT's scope of practice, and doing so — even with good intentions — creates professional and liability risks.
A dual relationship occurs when a professional relationship is combined with a personal or social relationship — for example, when an RBT becomes friends with a client's parent on social media, accepts a social invitation from a client's family, or works with someone they know personally. Dual relationships compromise the objectivity, professional boundaries, and appropriate authority of the therapeutic relationship, and can create confusion for clients and caregivers about the nature of the professional's role. RBTs who encounter dual relationship situations should discuss them with their supervising BCBA rather than navigating them independently.
RBTs should report to their supervising BCBA whenever they encounter a situation that feels ethically uncertain, observe behavior by anyone — caregiver, colleague, or supervisor — that appears to harm or put a client at risk, notice changes in a client's presentation that could indicate abuse or neglect, or are asked to do something that conflicts with their training or feels wrong. The RBT Ethics Code (2.0) places the obligation to report concerns clearly on behavior technicians. When in doubt, report — it is always safer to bring a concern to supervision than to manage it alone.
In most US states, individuals who work with children or vulnerable adults — including RBTs — are designated mandatory reporters, legally required to report reasonable suspicions of abuse or neglect to the appropriate child protective services or adult protective services agency. Mandatory reporting obligations typically do not require proof — reasonable suspicion is the legal threshold. RBTs should know their state's mandatory reporting requirements, their organization's reporting procedures, and understand that reporting in good faith is protected from liability. Failure to report when required is itself a legal violation in most jurisdictions.
If an RBT observes a colleague implementing a behavioral procedure differently than it was designed — whether due to unfamiliarity, shortcutting, or a deliberate deviation — they should bring this to the attention of the supervising BCBA. The RBT should not attempt to correct the colleague directly during a session in a way that undermines the therapeutic environment, but they should document what they observed and report it to supervision as promptly as possible. This is not 'tattling' — it is a professional obligation to protect the integrity of client services and to support the colleague's own professional development.
Common early warning signs include: a caregiver consistently skipping or modifying program steps without discussion, a client making statements that suggest distress or unsafe home situations, pressure from any party to record data that does not reflect what actually occurred, requests to spend session time on activities that are not part of the behavioral program, feeling uncomfortable with something that has happened but being unable to articulate why, and being asked to keep something 'between us' rather than reporting it. These cues should prompt consultation with the supervising BCBA, not independent resolution.
Yes, within limits. The RBT Ethics Code (2.0) does not require RBTs to implement procedures they have reasonable grounds to believe are harmful, unethical, or outside the scope of their role. If an RBT is instructed to implement a procedure that conflicts with their ethical obligations, they should first raise the concern with their supervising BCBA. If the concern is not resolved at the supervisor level and the RBT believes the instruction requires them to engage in unethical conduct, they may escalate to organizational leadership or decline while documenting their reasoning. RBTs should not simply comply with instructions they believe are unethical in order to avoid conflict.
Confidentiality obligations for RBTs extend fully to social media. Posting information about clients — even without using names or identifying details — on social media can violate confidentiality if the post could be used to identify the client. Discussing a 'funny thing that happened at work today' in a way that describes a client's behavior, location, or characteristics is a confidentiality breach. RBTs should have no social media contact with clients or their family members, and organizational social media policies should be reviewed during onboarding so technicians understand specifically what is and is not permissible.
Effective ethics training for RBTs uses realistic case scenarios that reflect the ambiguous situations technicians actually encounter, not only clear-cut violations. It includes behavioral rehearsal — practicing responses to difficult situations before encountering them in practice. It is delivered regularly rather than as a one-time onboarding event. It creates a supervisory environment where technicians feel safe raising ethical questions without fear of judgment or retaliation. And it connects ethical guidelines to the values underlying them — client dignity, honesty, professional integrity — so technicians can reason from values in novel situations rather than searching for a matching rule.
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ on-demand CEUs including ethics, supervision, and clinical topics like this one. Plus a new live CEU every Wednesday.
Ready to go deeper? This course covers this topic with structured learning objectives and CEU credit.
Technician WORKSHOP #2: Ethics in Action: Real-World Tools for RBTs — Emily Patrizi · 0 BACB General CEUs · $0
Take This Course →We extended these answers with research from our library — dig into the peer-reviewed studies behind the topic, in plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
239 research articles with practitioner takeaways
BACB General CEUs · $0 · BehaviorLive
Research-backed educational guide with practice recommendations
Side-by-side comparison with clinical decision framework
You earn CEUs from a dozen different places. Upload any certificate — from here, your employer, conferences, wherever — and always know exactly where you stand. Learning, Ethics, Supervision, all handled.
No credit card required. Cancel anytime.
All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.