PROVISION OF CONFIDENTIALITY INFORMATION AND ITS RELATION TO CHILD-ABUSE REPORTING

A study of 204 psychologists in Minnesota, Missouri, and Kansas, repre senting a survey response rate of 59.6%, indicated that respondents we re inconsistent in their procedures for informing clients of confident iality limits. The hypothesis that these procedures are related to chi ld abuse reporting tendencies was partially supported. Although within -session (within-vignette) manipulation of the confidentiality informa tion provided did not influence reporting tendency, the results indica ted that clinicians who typically provided more frequent and more spec ific information about confidentiality limits were also more likely to report abuse presented in a vignette. In addition, clinicians' certai nty of abuse, reporting history, and theoretical orientation were rela ted to reporting tendency. The findings suggest the need to reassert t he importance of the consistent provision of detailed information abou t confidentiality limits to clients early in therapy.