All social workers practice confidentiality.  This means that our meetings with students are PRIVATE and that we do not share personal information with anyone else.  There are 2 exceptions to this practice:

1. your safety...if you are in danger because someone is harming you or you are harming yourself, we may not keep that information private. 
2. others' safety...if someone else is in danger because you have harmed them or you are going to harm them, we cannot keep that information private.

School social workers (and teachers) are "mandated reporters." This means that the state of Massachusetts requires us to report it when we learn that a student is endangered at home and in some cases, at school.  When I need to make a report, I share with students what I am going to say and do and I talk with them about what they can expect to happen or not happen.