Week 20
Our 20th dilemma takes us outside of the counselling arena and into day-to-day life. Where do our personal moral compasses point?
The dilemma in full:
Your best friend tells you that she has taken her adult son back in to live in her home as he is having trouble paying for his room in a shared house that he has lived in for 5 years. Your friend struggles for money and has saved up a chunk of cash for you and her to go away in the autumn on a mini break.
One day she tells you that she won't be able to make the holiday after all, when you enquire as to why, she tells you that her son needed the money so she gave it to him. You tell her not to worry and offer to pay her share of the trip so that she can still go. (You try not to get into any confrontation as the last time you spoke up about the way her son treats her, she took his side and you didn't speak to each other for over a year.)
A few days later you look out of your office window onto the betting shop opposite and see her son coming out putting some cash in his wallet. For the next few weeks you notice him nearly every day either going into the betting shop or leaving the shop.
What would you do?
Call your friend and tell her even though you are risking your friendship, after all if it was your son you would want to know
Ignore it and tell yourself it is none of your business
Approach her son and ask him if he needs any support without telling his mum
Tell him that you are aware of him visiting the betting shop and let him know that he needs to tell his mum, otherwise you will have no choice but to tell her yourself
#moralcompass #friendship #gambling