Jewish Chronic Hospital Study.

Ethical Principles Violated

These unethical practices directly violate the foundational principles of ethical research, which were established in documents like the Belmont Report.

Respect for Persons: This principle asserts that individuals should be treated as autonomous agents capable of making their own decisions. It requires that researchers obtain informed consent and protect those with diminished autonomy. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, where researchers withheld treatment from African-American men with syphilis to study the disease's progression, is a classic example of this violation. The participants were not told they had syphilis and were not given penicillin, even after it became the standard treatment. . This disregarded their right to self-determination and led to immense suffering.

Beneficence: This principle obligates researchers to do no harm and to maximize the possible benefits of the research while minimizing potential risks. The Willowbrook State School study in the 1960s serves as a grim example of this violation. Researchers intentionally infected children with intellectual disabilities with hepatitis to study the disease. This action caused direct harm to the participants without any justifiable benefit to them, violating the principle of "do no harm."

Justice: This principle requires that the benefits and burdens of research are distributed fairly. It means that no single group of people should be unfairly exposed to the risks of research. Both the Tuskegee and Willowbrook studies violated this principle by targeting and exploiting vulnerable populations (poor African-American men and institutionalized children) to carry out research that would benefit the broader public, demonstrating an unfair distribution of the risks.

Sample Answer

Unethical Research Practices

Unethical research often involves a deliberate disregard for the well-being and rights of participants. These practices include:

Lack of Informed Consent: This is a fundamental violation where participants are not fully informed about the study's purpose, procedures, potential risks, and their right to withdraw. They are often deceived or misled about the true nature of the research.

Causing Harm: Participants are exposed to physical or psychological harm without justification. This can be direct, such as the deliberate withholding of treatment, or indirect, such as causing emotional distress or social stigma.

Targeting Vulnerable Populations: Unethical studies frequently exploit individuals who are unable to provide true informed consent due to their age, health, or institutionalization. These populations are disproportionately exposed to the risks of the research.