Certainly! Here’s a short story illustrating an instance where confidentiality would be broken:
Example of Breaking Confidentiality: A Short Story
Sarah is a therapist who has been seeing a client, John, for several months. During one session, John confides in Sarah that he has been having thoughts of harming a specific person. According to professional ethics and legal obligations, Sarah must keep client information confidential. However, because John poses a clear threat to someone’s safety, Sarah decides to break confidentiality by reporting this information to the authorities to prevent harm.
Explanation
In this example, confidentiality is broken because there is a justified concern for the safety of others. Many professions, especially in healthcare and counseling, require maintaining confidentiality except in cases where there is a risk of harm to the client or others. This exception ensures that confidentiality does not protect dangerous behavior and helps prevent potential harm. If you want, I can provide more examples or explain the ethical guidelines around confidentiality!
