What is the difference between "duty to warn" and "duty to protect" in school counseling ethics?

• A. Duty to warn and duty to protect are identical.
• B. Duty to warn is to warn potential victims; duty to protect requires taking steps to ensure safety.
• C. Duty to warn means contacting the student; duty to protect is not used.
• D. Duty to protect means warning the victims.

Answer: (B)

In school counseling ethics, there are two related duties when someone poses a risk to others: warn potential victims and take steps to protect.

Duty to warn means telling identifiable individuals who may be at risk that a threat exists so they can take precautions. This is the part that conveys information directly to those who could be harmed, so they can respond appropriately.

Duty to protect goes further and requires taking concrete actions to ensure safety. This can include notifying guardians or administrators, contacting law enforcement, arranging for the student to receive evaluation or treatment, or removing a student from a setting if needed to prevent harm.

So the best choice captures that warning involves informing potential victims, while protecting involves taking proactive steps to ensure safety. The other options either suggest the duties are the same, misstate who should be contacted, or equate protection with merely warning.