PMC Ethics, Boundaries & Professional Standards 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A parent asks the therapist to leave their 8-year-old alone in the treatment room during a massage. The therapist should:
- Comply with the parent's request
- Insist a parent or guardian remain present throughout the session (Correct answer)
- Ask another staff member to sit outside the door
- Proceed and document the parent's request
Correct answer: Insist a parent or guardian remain present throughout the session
A parent or authorized guardian must be present in the room during all massage sessions with minors to protect both the child and the therapist.
Question 2: Informed consent for a pediatric massage client must be obtained from:
- The child if they are over age 10
- A parent or legal guardian (Correct answer)
- The child's school counselor
- The referring physician
Correct answer: A parent or legal guardian
Minors cannot legally provide informed consent for medical or therapeutic services; a parent or legal guardian must provide written consent.
Question 3: Which organization provides the widely recognized certification specifically for pediatric massage therapists in the US?
- AMTA (American Massage Therapy Association)
- IAIM (International Association of Infant Massage) (Correct answer)
- NCBTMB (National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork)
- ABMP (Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals)
Correct answer: IAIM (International Association of Infant Massage)
The IAIM is the internationally recognized organization for infant massage certification, offering the Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI) credential.
Question 4: A pediatric massage therapist working in the US is legally classified as a mandated reporter in most states, meaning they MUST report:
- All sports injuries to school coaches
- Reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect to authorities (Correct answer)
- Parental disagreements about treatment
- Any missed scheduled appointments
Correct answer: Reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect to authorities
Most US states classify massage therapists as mandated reporters who are legally obligated to report reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities.
Question 5: The concept of 'assent' in pediatric massage refers to:
- The parent's written consent form
- The child's verbal or nonverbal agreement to participate in massage (Correct answer)
- A court order allowing treatment
- The therapist's professional opinion about treatment suitability
Correct answer: The child's verbal or nonverbal agreement to participate in massage
Assent is the child's age-appropriate agreement to receive massage, distinct from parental legal consent, and should always be sought even though it is not legally binding.
Question 6: What is the ethical responsibility of a pediatric massage therapist when a child discloses abuse during a session?
- Keep the information confidential to protect the therapeutic relationship
- Investigate the claim thoroughly before reporting
- Listen without judgment, reassure the child, and follow mandatory reporting protocols (Correct answer)
- Confront the alleged abuser directly
Correct answer: Listen without judgment, reassure the child, and follow mandatory reporting protocols
The therapist must listen supportively without probing, reassure the child they did nothing wrong, and immediately follow mandatory reporting protocols without promising confidentiality.
PMC Ethics, Boundaries & Professional Standards 1
A parent asks the therapist to leave their 8-year-old alone in the treatment room during a massage.
The therapist should: