Ethical Issues When Graduate Students Act as Mentors

The field of ethics in psychology has devoted a great deal of attention to the ethical issues that arise when students and faculty develop mentor-mentee relationships. However, little attention has been given to examining the role of graduate students acting as mentors. Graduate students often supervise and evaluate undergraduates as a part of research and teaching responsibilities, and may act as mentors to more junior graduate students. This article discusses the unique qualities and ethical considerations of graduate students in mentoring relationships. Finally, this article concludes with recommendations on ethical mentorship inspired by the American Psychological Association (2010) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.