Which statement best contrasts duty to warn and duty to protect?

Which statement best contrasts duty to warn and duty to protect?

• A. Duty to warn involves notifying identifiable individuals
• B. Duty to warn requires consent from the identified individuals to be notified
• C. Duty to protect applies only when a specific person is named
• D. Duty to warn and duty to protect are the same obligation

Answer: (A)

The main idea is the difference in who is informed and how protection is carried out. Duty to warn means you must notify identifiable individuals who may be at risk when a patient poses a credible threat. That’s why the statement that duty to warn involves notifying identifiable individuals is the best fit. It does not require consent from those individuals to be notified, so saying consent is needed would be incorrect. Duty to protect, on the other hand, involves taking steps to safeguard the potential victim, which can include warnings to authorities or other protective actions, and it isn’t limited to a named person. It’s a separate obligation from warning, not the same thing. Thus, saying duty to warn involves notifying identifiable individuals accurately captures the contrast between the two duties.

The main idea is the difference in who is informed and how protection is carried out. Duty to warn means you must notify identifiable individuals who may be at risk when a patient poses a credible threat. That’s why the statement that duty to warn involves notifying identifiable individuals is the best fit. It does not require consent from those individuals to be notified, so saying consent is needed would be incorrect. Duty to protect, on the other hand, involves taking steps to safeguard the potential victim, which can include warnings to authorities or other protective actions, and it isn’t limited to a named person. It’s a separate obligation from warning, not the same thing. Thus, saying duty to warn involves notifying identifiable individuals accurately captures the contrast between the two duties.