Isn't adult-minor sex a mandatory reportable crime?
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Venus-25 — 15 years ago(December 13, 2010 08:37 AM)
Good call, but what is the standard of information the police need? If Jesse didn't tell Paul their real names (a serious possibility) the only end result would have been disruption of Jesse's therapy.
The Fabio Principle: Puffy shirts look best on men who look even better without them. -
jalisco555 — 15 years ago(December 13, 2010 09:14 AM)
IIRC, Jesse told Paul quite a bit about them, maybe enough to be able to identify them, something about them owning a bar. Even without specific knowledge though I think he would be required to report this and have the authorities investigate to determine the names of the adults.
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fidelio1980 — 15 years ago(December 17, 2010 03:59 PM)
Did Paul report anything to the authorities about Sophie's gymnastics coach in season 1?
If he didn't report that, then I'd say it's consistent for Paul to not care much about what kind of things he's expected to report.
If he wouldn't do it in Sophie's case, I don't see why he'd do it in Jesse's case. In Jesse's case, unlike Sophie's, it wasn't entirely clear who Jesse was talking about. (Sophie only had one gymnastics coach named Cy, whereas it would probably be a lot harder to track down the guys who Jesse mentioned.) Also, it often wasn't clear if Jesse was telling the truth about his exploits outside Paul's office.
Plus, it appeared that even if Jesse was sleeping with older men, he may have been lying to them about his age, and pretending to be an adult. (I know that it would be illegal for adults to sleep with Jesse if he was under the age of consent, regardless of whether he lied about his age.but I think Paul would be much more likely to turn in someone who knowingly slept with a minor, as opposed to someone who was fooled by a minor.) -
HubbzZ — 15 years ago(January 03, 2011 01:08 AM)
The patient has to be in some sort of harm for the therapist to break confidentiality. Jesse was having sex with older men voluntarily. And like what someone else said, what information would Paul have given authorities? If Paul had told the cops and then the cops came to Jesse, he would have just denied ever having said it and left treatment, which would be bad for him. Paul, being an experienced therapist recognized all this and didn't say anything. I mean look at what it took for him to report Sunil, you think hes gonna do that cause his eccentric 17 year old patient is saying he had sex with guys? Its all about whats best for the patient.
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ginger-51 — 11 years ago(February 12, 2015 06:56 PM)
The patient has to be in some sort of harm for the therapist to break confidentiality.
actually, this is not true. Sex between an adult and a minor is by definition harmful to the minor. Even if they think they want it, minors haven't fully developed mentally, emotionally, and cognitively, and they are unable to anticipate and understand all the risks and possibilities involved. Because of this, it's up to the adult to say NO even if the minor seems to really want it. Paul SHOULD have reported Sophie's sexual relationship with Cy. I think he opted not to so he wouldn't damage his therapeutic relationship with her.
But I think this is evidence of the pattern Paul has shown in his work in the pastremember the letter that he talked about Gina writing years ago, that said that his performance as a therapist was "seriously compromised" because he was always seeking his patients' approval rather than doing what is best for them? -
jmbwithcats — 14 years ago(October 05, 2011 10:49 PM)
What about Sophie and her coach in season 1?
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bruce-129 — 13 years ago(June 11, 2012 11:09 PM)
I think the therapist is legally bound to report a crime, or if the patient threatens or seems to pose a danger to himself or someone else.
I think that is a good enough question that the writers should have explained the law or the response in the show.
I think it is was happening against Jesse's will Paul would be bound to say something, but since it is not, I expect he is bound not to by doctor-patient confidentiality. -
mathmaniac — 10 years ago(August 08, 2015 05:28 AM)
Read the responses above about the 'will' of the minor. It is not a question of voluntary or involuntary. People who seduce boys or girls are not engaging in a relationship that includes notions of 'voluntary' or 'involuntary.'
I think the issue here involves time that the crime was committed. It was a crime. It is a crime to engage in sex with a minor.
If Jesse said that this was happening, Paul would have no hesitation about reporting this crime. Even as you see Paul's problems with indecision in some cases, this would not be a case of indecision for him. No way, no how.
But Jesse said that this is what happened. Not what is happening. There's where the issue of needing to report a crime is not exactly clear to me because I don't know how the code of ethics in therapy works for that.