Disclosure - Obligation to Report

If you are facilitating workshops, you may encounter a situation where someone tells you about abuse that is happening in their home, to them or to their children. Even though your group may have an group agreement about confidentiality, it is important to know that everyone who becomes aware of the possibility that child abuse is occurring is obligated under the law to tell the social services or the police. You should tell the participants this.

If you think that a child is being abused, you are legally responsible to report it to the appropriate agency or person in your community. Be prepared. Be sure to find out the proper way to report and deal with this situation before you have to.

You do not have to tell the participant that you have contacted services. Your identity will be kept confidential.