Scripts
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Mandated Reporting
As a prevention educator, you may be a mandated reporter. This means that you are required to report to the appropriate authority whenever anyone under 18 tells you someone is abusing them, they are a danger to harm someone else, or they are a danger to harm themselves.
*You should learn and follow your individual agency’s mandated reporter policy to learn the procedures your agency follows. However, there are several important points to keep in mind:
* Children services will handle anything happening in the home or with family members.
You should file your report with the appropriate agency in the county in which the student resides. Your agency's policies should help you to determine the right steps to take when reporting.
You are not obligated to give your name when you file a report.
Even if you do not have all of the student’s information, you should still file a report with what information you do have.
You do not have to have evidence to file a report. All you need to have is reasonable suspicion.
It does not matter if you have information that the student is no longer in imminent danger. Once the student discloses to you, you are obligated to file a report.
You should file the report immediately and refrain from delaying.
You should not delegate your responsibility to file a report to someone else, even a supervisor.
You should request acknowledgment of your report from children’s services.
In the case of individuals with developmental disabilities, the rules about mandated reporting apply to them until they turn 21.
Some students may feel betrayed if they tell you something without realizing that you are a mandated reporter and then learn that you have to tell someone else. Other students may want to tell you something but are afraid that nothing will happen if they tell you. For these reasons, you should tell them that you are a mandated reporter and what that term means at the start of your time presenting to students.
An example of what you might say to them is:
“I will respect your privacy and not share the things you share with others as much as possible. However, there are some cases where I will have to tell someone else. Like your teacher, I am a mandated reporter. What that means is that while I will keep most things you share or tell me private, there are some things where I cannot do that in order to make sure everyone is safe. If you tell me that someone else is abusing you, you are a danger to someone else, or you are a danger to yourself, I will have to tell the proper people in order to protect everyone’s safety. Anything else you tell me, I will keep private”.
It is important that you do this at the start of class on the first day you present to a group of students, so that they know right away what you can and cannot keep private.
Student Privacy
Students may want to share personal examples, stories, or opinions during the presentation, but might be reluctant to do so out of fear that other students in the class will spread what they said around school or that you will “tell on them”. It is crucial that students feel safe sharing whatever they want to contribute to the discussion and that you establish an atmosphere of trust during your time presenting to each class. Therefore, you should explain to students the importance of respecting the privacy of their peers and classmates. You should explain to students that while they can share the information that they learn from you with others, including their friends and their parents, they should not share anything personal that any of their classmates share, including stories.
A way to word this for students may be to establish the expectation with them that:
“What’s shared here stays here. What’s learned here leaves here” or something similar.
Other important points to keep in mind in regards to privacy include the following:
Consult your agency’s policy on respecting student confidentiality.
Make sure to tell students that you will also respect their privacy and not share the things they share with others.
As part of your discussion with students about privacy, make sure to discuss your status as a mandated reporter and explain those things that you cannot keep private (See section on Mandated Reporting above).
Ask students not to share the names of other students if they share a personal story with the rest of the class as an example.
Model respecting privacy when you share stories or examples with students.
If you are conducting a class virtually, respect the rights of students not to turn on their camera or to turn their camera to the ceiling. However, students should be discouraged from using fake names for their screen names, so you can follow up on your mandated reporter obligations should a student disclose during a virtual class.
Refrain from requiring students to share personal stories or examples in class, if they do not want to. Similarly, refrain from phrasing questions in a way that suggests you are expecting a student to share personal stories.
An example of what you might say to students in regards to what types of things you will and will not share with others is:
“I will respect your privacy and not share the things you share with others as much as possible. However, there are some cases where I will have to tell someone else. Like your teacher, I am a mandated reporter. What that means is that while I will keep most things you share or tell me private, there are some cases where I cannot do that in order to make sure everyone is safe. If you tell me that someone else is abusing you, you are a danger to someone else, or you a danger to yourself, I will have to tell the proper people in order to protect everyone’s safety. Anything else you tell me, I will keep private”.
Be sure and discuss the importance of students respecting each other’s privacy and not sharing personal details at the start of your first day presenting to each group of students.
Self Care
Much of the material we discuss with students may feel too heavy or overwhelming for some of them. The content can be triggering even if a person has not directly or indirectly experienced violence. Students may also feel like they are obligated to fully participate in every piece of the programming and that they are being rude if they engage in self-care techniques.
It is important to encourage students to take care of themselves during the presentation and to make sure students understand that they do not have to participate in any portion of the discussion or any activities that they do not feel safe doing.
At the start of each class, you might say something along the lines of: “Some of the topics we are going to be talking about today might be difficult for some of you, and it’s ok if you feel overwhelmed or upset. Please feel free to get up, get a drink, or put your head down, if you need to. Do what you need to do to feel safe and okay again. You are not required to participate in any activities or parts of our discussion that feel emotionally unsafe to you”.
Some additional things you might want to consider as you try to encourage self-care among the students:
Consider providing students with coloring pages or a space marked as doodling space along with whatever materials you give them.
Consider pausing at key moments in the presentation, either when you see multiple students who seem to be in distress or in the middle of difficult subjects, and leading students in some deep breathing or stretching.
Share things you do for self-care with students.
If possible, find a way to incorporate activities that allow students the option of getting up and moving around into your curriculum.
Try to avoid starting a class period by immediately diving into something particularly emotionally heavy.
Allow students time to process things and/or self-reflect before moving on to a new topic.
Consider starting each day with a check-in to see how students are doing.
Some teachers may insist that students pay full attention the entire time and participate in every activity. Have a conversation with these teachers and explain why allowing students to take care of themselves during your presentation is important (see Pre-Work section).
Note: Don’t forget to model self-care and take care of yourself as well.