Forensic Anthropology - Ethics

Ethics

All the procedures for identifying human remains come with a code of ethics both in Canada and the United States. A guide to the code of ethics in anthropological studies, including the fields of biological and forensic anthropology, is provided by the American Anthropological Association (AAA) where ethics in all areas of anthropology are included. When the forensic anthropologist is accused of questionable behavior regarding how a set of human remains are handled, the consequences may be extreme. The forensic anthropologist may be committing a legal offense in which he or she may face criminal charges.

Generally, the application of forensic anthropology in Canada and the United States are identical. However, unlike other disciplines where professionals may be guided on how to instruct students in their field, forensic anthropologists rarely provide formal training. Although professionals in the field of forensic anthropology usually do not have any formal training in teaching the field, there are many dedicated professionals who pass on their knowledge in post-secondary institutions.