Abstract
In the modern era, concerns over school-related gun violence are as high as ever. In their clinical work, psychologists who work with youth may encounter reports of real threats of gun violence at school. In this article, the author presents a case vignette in which a middle-school client reports having documented knowledge that a peer brought a gun to school. The author explores the ethical decision-making and other practical considerations in choosing to intervene and report the gun possession to school personnel. The author outlines not only measures to protect the client but also considerations in protecting and advocating for the student who actually brought the gun to school.
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Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the numerous psychologists and other professionals who provided consultation for the hypothetical opening vignette, including several members of APA’s Division 53 Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, liability attorneys at State Volunteer Mutual Insurance Company, and a number of personal friends and colleagues who served as sounding boards for ideas. Though not named as authors in this paper, their contributions were paramount in allowing a more complete treatise of the issues presented by the vignette.
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Steadman, J.L. Ethical and Legal Considerations When Patients Disclose Knowledge of a Weapon in a School. J Health Serv Psychol 47, 149–157 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42843-021-00040-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42843-021-00040-7