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Are you a mental health practitioner working with individuals with a sexual interest in children? The 2PS Project invites your valuable input: How do national reporting requirements affect your ability to ensure confidentiality and anonymity for your patients?
We are reaching out to seek your support with the completion and the distribution of an anonymous online survey in the 2PS project, aimed at mental health practitioners who are working with people with a sexual interest in children.
The 2PS Project is an EU-funded initiative that brings together a wide network of European partners dedicated to supporting and addressing the mental health needs of individuals with a sexual interest in children and, at the same time, addressing the importance of prevention.
A specific part of the 2PS project consists of writing a report on the legal frameworks in the EU and some key non-EU countries (Australia, Canada, Switzerland, the UK, and the US) related to mandatory reporting rules and their implementation and impact in practice, essentially trying to clarify the playing field for mental health practitioners in specific countries: to what extent can confidentiality or even anonymity (e.g. an online anonymous support programme) be ensured? Anonymity and confidentiality are important requirements for a successful therapeutic relationship, but at the same time legal requirements to breach that secrecy may apply when there is an imminent risk of harm to a child. As part of the 2PS work, these situations must be explored to clarify the legal framework and its application in practice. The survey is not meant to imply that individuals with a sexual interest in children who are seeking treatment, are to be considered to be at risk of offending against a child. Rather, it is the nature of mandatory reporting obligations that such reporting obligations apply in situations where there may be a (perceived) risk of imminent (threat of) harm to a child.
To explore the application of mandatory reporting obligations in practice, an anonymous online survey has been set up, which aims to gather valuable insights from mental health practitioners in the EU, EEA, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, the UK, and the US on the exercise of professional discretion within the framework of national reporting requirements. The aim is to clarify the legal boundaries of mandatory reporting obligations, ultimately contributing to the development of effective and impactful European policy. Without this practical input, the report will be limited to the “law in the books”, which, in the absence of accessible case law in many countries, will present an incomplete overview of the rules and their actual impact. To effectively inform policy and present practitioners (in the own country and in others) with reliable information, practical input is essential. To this end, we have reached out to more than 100 practitioners and organizations in the field with aim of engaging as many relevant stakeholders as possible.
Despite our ongoing efforts to engage with so many practitioners and organizations, we are still lacking sufficient input for most of the countries mentioned above. As we recognize that some may not have had the opportunity to participate or may not have found the time to give it any consideration, we are making another attempt through this letter.
We are aware that within this field, many research activities are being conducted simultaneously, which may lead to saturation with professionals: why answer another study? The answer is simply that a good understanding of mandatory reporting obligations and discretion in this context is necessary for both practitioners to feel confident in knowing to what extent they can guarantee anonymity and/or confidentiality, and to define proper recommendations for European and national policy makers. The participation of your organization can significantly contribute to the 2PS research and report, and as such, will have a meaningful impact on the European policy landscape.
You can help advance the research by completing the online 2PS survey yourself and by helping to distribute it within your organization and through your website, newsletter, or other channels. This would be invaluable to the project’s goals.
The survey consists of five case studies and takes about 20 minutes. The survey currently still needs a lot of input, so your contribution is very valuable.
For your convenience, you can find and share a prepared post on this topic on the 2PS Project’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7264641940627902465
We would be deeply grateful if you would consider supporting us in this endeavour, and we thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Should you require further details or wish to discuss this request in depth, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. We would be pleased to address any questions or provide additional information.
Help us today, to shape effective and meaningful European policy for tomorrow!
Yours sincerely,
The Timelex team in the 2PS project.
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