While the legislation sets out prohibitions with respect to sexual conduct with clients, the College also sets out similar prohibitions with respect to professional services that involve others, including those associated with clients, e.g., family members of clients, students, supervisees and research subjects. While the legislation does not specifically address inappropriate conduct with respect to those who are not clients, the College’s Standards of Professional Conduct, 2017 do, as follows:
14.1 Sexual Harassment
A member must not engage in sexual harassment in any professional context. Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to, any or all, of the following:
(a) the use of power or authority in an attempt to coerce another person to engage in or tolerate sexual activity including, but not limited to, explicit or implicit threats of reprisal for noncompliance or promises of reward for compliance;
(b) engaging in deliberate and/or repeated unsolicited sexually oriented comments, anecdotes, gestures, or touching, where the member knows or ought to know that such behaviours are offensive and unwelcome, or creating an offensive, hostile, or intimidating professional environment; and
(c) engaging in physical or verbal conduct of a sexual nature when such conduct might reasonably be expected to cause harm, insecurity, discomfort, offence, or humiliation to another person or group.
14.2 Other Forms of Abuse and Harassment
A member must not engage in any verbal or physical behaviour of a demeaning, harassing or abusive nature in any professional context.
14.3 Sexual Relationships with Students and Psychology Interns, Psychology Trainees and Supervisees
A member must not engage in a sexual relationship with an individual with whom the member has a current evaluative relationship or with whom the member might reasonably expect to have a future evaluative relationship.