- Parents are naturally protective of the privacy of their families and are frequently uncomfortable with school personnel having access to private family information. They are also rightfully concerned about what happens to their children at school. How can school counselors respect those wishes and yet still serve adolescent students who want to discuss family matters with them without parental knowledge? What plans can high school counselors develop when they have a teenager in their office asking for and needing advice and information about behaviors about which their parents would be disapproving? What happens if school counselors refuse to offer counseling that parents would dislike and refer all students to resources outside of school? Is that a wise choice?
- School counselors are now being held legally liable for their actions, especially in regard to students who are dangerous to themselves or others, but also when they fail to advise students properly about educational matters. At the same time, school systems give counselors huge student caseloads that frequently make it impossible for them to do their jobs in the way they would like. What practical steps can school counselors take to meet their legal and ethical responsibilities to students in light of these caseloads?
