Location: Florida
I wanted to ask if my therapist would legally be required to report that I was raped as a minor (by another minor) even though I am now 19.
I want to discuss this and the effects it has had on me up until this point in my life, but I do not wish to have my parents involved or press charges.
If my therapist has to report it, is there a way to make sure that my parents do not get involved? I currently still live with my parents, so can I go to the police station myself to confirm that I do not want to press charges instead of them showing up at my house?
Comments
Obligatory Not a lawyer. I can’t speak to whether your therapist would be required to report it to the police, but if word of it does get to the police, it’s ultimately not your choice whether charges are pressed or not. It is up to the district attorney whether they choose to pursue the matter or not.
The mandated reporting would be contingent on what exactly happened and who did it; if there’s reason to believe that this person is an ongoing threat to you, others, or themselves, then your therapist would need to report them, but if the danger is gone then normal confidentiality rules apply.
This likely depends on many details, but in my area, mandatory reporting requirements end after the child is an adult.