What are the limits of confidentiality when TDV disclosures occur?

• A. Always share everything with all staff.
• B. Privacy overrides safety.
• C. Information should be discarded.
• D. While privacy is prioritized, information may need to be shared with designated staff or authorities to ensure safety and comply with laws.

Answer: (D)

Confidentiality has limits when it comes to disclosures about teen dating violence. The key idea is that protecting a student’s safety takes precedence over complete privacy. You should prioritize privacy, but you may need to share information with designated staff or authorities to keep the student safe and to comply with laws. Share only the minimum information necessary with people who need to know, such as a school counselor, administrator, or mandated reporters, and document what you shared and why.

This approach allows you to coordinate a safety response, connect the student with support services, and meet legal obligations that may require reporting or intervention. It’s also important to set expectations with the student about these limits upfront—you’ll protect their privacy as much as possible, but if there’s risk of harm, disclosure is appropriate and sometimes required.

Options that suggest sharing everything with all staff, or that privacy always overrides safety, or that information should be discarded, don’t fit because they fail to protect the student or adhere to legal duties. The proper stance is a careful balance: protect privacy when safe to do so, but disclose enough to ensure safety and comply with laws.