The ethics of mandatory elder abuse reporting statutes.

The ethics of mandatory elder abuse reporting statutes are analyzed in terms of beneficence, autonomy, and nonmaleficence. The statutes, based on the ethical principle of beneficence, are now the law in 37 states. However, evidence to support that the statutes actually fulfill rules derived from beneficence is weak. As a result, the strength of rules derived from autonomy and nonmaleficence, already strong within nursing, is increased, and potential conflicts between the rules to remove harm but to obtain consent, to prevent harm but to maintain confidentiality, and to provide benefits but to inflict no harm are created.