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Social work is committed to promoting cultural competence, celebrating human diversity, and empowering clients. In this commentary, we acknowledge these values and provide a brief summary of scholarly literature on body modification practices to call attention to the need to rethink common standards of professional appearance, specifically with respect to workers who may have visible tattoos or piercings. As societal norms shift and new knowledge develops, it is important that attitudes and policies among social workers keep up with such changes. Issues of professional appearance may be classified under the “private conduct” heading of the “ethical responsibilities as professionals” section of the NASW (2008),Code of Ethics. In addition, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, 2013) has drafted the 2015 Educational and Professional Accreditation Standards, wherein the first competency is identified as “ethical and professional behavior,” including the subcompetency to “demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior and appearance” (p. 3). These official designations clearly imply that professional appearance remains an important issue in social work practice. However, the question arises as to how social workers with tattoos and piercings (and perhaps other modifications) navigate these standards.
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