Two Thoughts on Confidentiality
Loose Lips Sink (relation)SHIPS
The biggest question parents and youth ask is “Are you trustworthy?” They may not ask it straight out, but they are looking to see how you handle who they are and if they are safe. Holding someone else’s private information is sacred and caregivers need to treat it as such (Confidentiality). One key that I use to help me know that I’m breaking confidence is that if my heart is telling me “This is too good not to tell someone else (drool)…” then it is confidential. If you are sitting down with another or a group, it is best to clarify if the information is confidential. Keep in mind; breaking confidence unnecessarily will sink your relationship with that person and anyone else who hears of it.
Too Good Not To Tell
Confidentiality in Youth Ministry is a challenge. Essentially because good stories attract attention and often we are trying to keep the attention of youth. This is where as caretakers we should have bells and whistles go off. If we ever find ourselves in a situation with information that we just want to blurt out about an individual. DON’T SAY ANYTHING!!! Unless you have permission directly from an individual to share a story, just don’t. The group you learn two things: a juicy story and that they can’t trust you with their stories. While loose lips sink relationships, sharing stories that are too good not to tell are the torpedoes of effective caring.
