The 15-Year-Old's Disclosure
You are an LPC at a community clinic in Salem. A 15-year-old client, J., has been seen for six sessions for anxiety. J. discloses being in a sexual relationship with a 23-year-old met online. J. begs you not to tell anyone, saying the relationship is 'consensual' and that their mother will 'freak out.' J.'s parents are divorced and share legal custody; the mother consented to treatment, and the father is unaware. J. reports that the 23-year-old sometimes drives J. home from school and has asked J. to keep the relationship secret from teachers. J. denies immediate danger but says the adult gets angry when J. talks to classmates.
1. What are your mandatory reporting obligations, and what should you tell J.?
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Oregon mandatory reporting law requires you to report suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse of a minor, to the Department of Human Services or law enforcement. J.'s claim that the relationship is 'consensual' does not change the analysis: a 15-year-old cannot legally consent to sexual activity with a 23-year-old. Report promptly and follow the clinic's reporting procedure. Do not investigate, confront the adult, or promise secrecy. Tell J., in developmentally appropriate terms, what you must report and why, and what will happen next, before or as you report if that is safe and feasible. Acknowledge J.'s fear about the mother's reaction without promising to avoid reporting.
2. How should you handle confidentiality with J.'s parents, given the shared legal custody and the father's unawareness?
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Confidentiality is limited by the reporting duty and by the parents' legal status. Do not promise J. that nothing will be shared. Because the parents share legal custody, consider what consent and safety planning require and what the reporting agency advises. You may need to involve the non-consenting father for consent or safety, but avoid unnecessary disclosure of clinical details. Coordinate with the reporting agency before broad parental disclosure if that does not compromise safety. Document the report, the agency and person contacted, the time, any report number, what you told J., and any safety plan. If J. is at immediate risk, take emergency steps.
3. What clinical and documentation steps should follow the report?
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Assess immediate safety, including J.'s contact with the adult, transportation, and any threats. Develop a safety plan with J. and, as appropriate, the involved parent. Do not contact the 23-year-old yourself. Consult your supervisor or the clinic's legal counsel about parental notification and record language. Document the disclosure, the report, the safety plan, consultations, and all follow-up. Keep the record factual and avoid conclusory statements about the adult's guilt. If the reporting agency or law enforcement requests records, release only what is authorized or ordered.