Confidentiality
School counselors when working with a group of students, legally and ethically, have the responsibility of going over the meaning of confidentiality including limitations before beginning the group session (Sink et al., 2012) As, Sink et al., (2012) explained, it's important to use developmental and age appropriate language when explaining confidentiality. Group leaders must be able to explain confidentiality in a way that group members are going to comprehend. One way to know if there is an understanding is asking group members what they think confidentiality means, as well as their thoughts after explaining its meaning (Sink et al., 2012). This open conversation between group members and the group leader helps avoid leaving members feeling like they can't open up or share (Sink, et al., 2012).
Having posters of confidentiality present in the group setting is also a helpful reminder for members and provides opportunity for members to ask questions before sharing or disclosing.
References:
Sink, C. A., Edwards, C., & Eppler, C. (2012). School based group counseling. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Chapter 3, “Basics of Group Preparation and Implementation” (pp. 64–106)
