reporting

charmaine asked 12 years ago

I have a friend whose husband is in fear of divulging that he molested a child over 7 years ago. Knows he needs to deal with it, but does not know if his therapist has to report it. They live iin California

1 Answers
Best Answer
Insight Psychological Staff answered 12 years ago

Different states have different laws, so he will want to look up the legalities of disclosure for the state of California. In most places (but not all), therapists are obligated to report current child abuse, and are not as concerned with reports of incidents that took place 7 years ago. However, I still recommend he look into the laws set out by the state. He may want to speak to a lawyer or to legal counsel before speaking with a therapist.

It takes a lot of courage to deal with this sort of issue, so I commend your friend for taking the steps necessary to find closure for himself.