Real-Life Decision Making
For several weeks, you've been seeing a four-year-old girl who's
been having bad dreams and sleeping poorly. She seems worried about something.
The girl's parents are separated, and the mother fears that the girl's
father has been abusing the child during their twice-weekly visits, but she
has no real evidence that this has been happening.
The mother has an erratic personality and a tendency to overreact. In spite
of the mother's suspicions, no evidence has emerged in the girl's
therapy sessions that points clearly to abuse.
But one Friday, the day before you are to go away on vacation for a week,
the little girl says something about "Daddy touching me" that makes you wonder.
What the girl has told you is too vague -- you're not sure whether you
should look at her disclosure as hard evidence of abuse. You think she needs
to keep coming to therapy because something is bothering her, so you don't
want to jeopardize that. You feel pressured to do something before you go
on vacation because the child's safety may be at risk.
You know you need to report the girl's statement, however vague, to
the state's department of social services, and tell the girl's mother
what you heard. But you're worried about the timing of your actions.
If you report the incident and tell the mother what the girl said, the mother
may jump to conclusions and handle the whole thing inappropriately. That might
stop the child from coming to therapy. Or she may accuse her
estranged husband of something that is based on unclear evidence.
However, if you wait until you return from vacation to tell the mother
and report the incident, the girl will have at least two more visits with
her father and may be at risk. In some states, you might be legally required
to report your suspicions.
What will you do?