Introduction

Iatrogenic harm is a term that originated in medical practice to denote the damage induced in a patient as a by-product of a therapeutic intervention, such as undesirable side effects of medication or secondary infections caused by invasive procedures. We are extending the word here to refer to the harm that is caused to a patient or client by any caregiver, whether physician, teacher, psychiatrist, school guidance counselor, social worker, or judge, in the course of a professional intervention such as that which has the declared intention of curing or preventing psychosocial disorders.