Question

How can child abuse reporting take its toll on the therapist?

Answer 1

When a therapist cannot deal between confidentiality and ethics the child abuse reporting takes its toll on the therapist or counsellor.

Each situation is different, and state laws will vary. A “tug of war” may occur when the duty of confidentiality, and the need to establish a trusting relationship between therapist and patient, intersects with certain child abuse reporting statutes. Because laws are sometimes ambiguous and often subject to differing interpretations, practitioners will face these and other thorny situations from time to time. Practitioners should bear in mind that they are not law enforcement officers. They should carefully evaluate the guidance and advice that they may obtain from a worker at Child Protective Services or a law enforcement officer.(leslie,2014)

1. Richard Leslie.Confidentiality and  Child Abuse Reporting.Avoiding Liability Bulletin - September 2014 retrieved from https://www.cphins.com/confidentiality-and-child-abuse-reporting/