The term 'duty to warn' refers to which ethical obligation?

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Multiple Choice

The term 'duty to warn' refers to which ethical obligation?

The duty to warn is the obligation to break confidentiality when there is a credible risk of harm to another person. When a client expresses an intention to harm a specific or identifiable individual, a clinician must take steps to protect that person, which commonly includes warning the potential victim and/or notifying authorities. This principle, anchored in the Tarasoff decision and reflected in ethics guidelines, balances client confidentiality with public safety. This isn’t about preserving confidentiality at all costs, nor simply obtaining consent before sharing information, nor about documenting conversations. Those actions relate to general privacy and record-keeping, not the protective action required when a concrete threat to someone else exists.

The duty to warn is the obligation to break confidentiality when there is a credible risk of harm to another person. When a client expresses an intention to harm a specific or identifiable individual, a clinician must take steps to protect that person, which commonly includes warning the potential victim and/or notifying authorities. This principle, anchored in the Tarasoff decision and reflected in ethics guidelines, balances client confidentiality with public safety.

This isn’t about preserving confidentiality at all costs, nor simply obtaining consent before sharing information, nor about documenting conversations. Those actions relate to general privacy and record-keeping, not the protective action required when a concrete threat to someone else exists.

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