When Over-Disclosure Happens

You can set your boundaries perfectly, as well as give a wonderful first impression, and yet students may still over-disclose traumatic or inappropriate information. This over-disclosure is not inherently a bad thing. You may be the first person they’ve trusted to relay this information to. Many times, students feel that they cannot fully disclose their struggles or experiences to their parents, instructors, or peers, and may perceive you as a seemingly objective recipient. It is at this moment where we can try and set the student up with a more productive resource.

Tone Shifts

The question I ask that leads to the most over-disclosure is often: “Did anything in particular prevent you from succeeding like you wanted last/this semester?” At-risk students often respond positively to this question because it suggests that they are not intrinsically a failure, and that we acknowledge that external factors can impact students’ performance. However, sometimes, the answer is one that is difficult to talk about. When this is the case, you may feel a tone shift. The student may become more physically antsy, they may make less eye contact, and you may hear emotion in their voice. It is at this tone shift that you may want to insert the previous boundary-setting techniques. Additionally, if a student looks uncomfortable, you may want to say, “You don’t need to tell me anything specific, unless you are in danger or would like to talk about mental health resources.” This statement can encourage a student to avoid over-disclosure, and/or request a deeper mental health resource discussion.

During these more difficult conversations, although we are setting boundaries the entire time, remember to never shame students or make them feel negative for opening up. The last thing we want is to make them regret asking for help. Be soft, yet firm.

You can be soft by:

• Having tissues on hand and offering them to a student
• Thanking them for trusting you with this information
• Having a softer tone of voice
• Reminding them that they are not broken, they are not alone
• Generally displaying empathy and understanding

You can be firm by:

• Reminding students that you cannot provide therapeutic advice
• Reminding students of your mandatory reporter status
• Directing students to more productive resources
• Reminding students of the purpose of the meeting and circling back to your overall goals

Resources & Following Up

If the conversation necessitates redirecting a student to further resources, be sure to have some pre-prepared. A list of specific resources for mental health and accessibility can be found at the end of this chapter. You may want to send these resources to students in multiple ways. You can provide them with a physical handout with information highlighted, and follow up with an email with links to online resources. Take out as many steps and as much ambiguity as you can for the student. For example, instead of simply telling the student to check out the Center for Educational Access (CEA) website, you can include information about CEA accommodations in your email text body, as well as link them directly to the CEA’s Get Started page. The more clear and direct the instructions/resources are, the more likely students will follow through.

You should follow through on your end, too. For any student that you send to another resource, whether it’s the CEA, Counseling & Psychological Services, an off-campus therapist, the Title IX office, or anything else, you should check back in with the student within a few weeks. It is important to give the student a bit of time and space before checking in so that they don’t feel rushed. As educators, we know that it can be easy to intend to do a task but procrastinate it – students often feel similarly. Your follow-up can be a polite reminder for the student, or it can be an opportunity for the student to ask for more help.

Mandatory Reporting

In some cases, the information a student discloses may warrant mandatory reporting to the University of Arkansas’s Title IX office. We want students to be informed of this policy before they disclose information because, in some cases, students don’t want their complaints to be escalated to a higher level. This desire can be caused by fear of retaliation or uncertainty that their complaint will be handled appropriately. In the event that a student chooses to disclose anyway, it is important to keep in mind what conversations/events require reporting, where you can report, and how to support a student during this process.

What is mandatory reporting?

Mandatory reporting refers to the Title IX office’s policy that requires employees to report the following violations:

• Gender discrimination
• Sexual harassment
• Harming of a minor.
• Stalking
• Sexual assault
• Dating violence
• Hazing

An employee who delays or refuses to report any incident or allegation they’ve learned of may receive disciplinary action. You can read more about the University of Arkansas’s Mandatory Reporter policy here and here. In summary, if a student reveals any of this information to you during a meeting, you are strongly encouraged to escalate their complaint to the Title IX office as soon as possible, even if the student is not completely open to the idea.

How can we support students during this process?

Although we try to inform students of our mandatory reporter status early on, they may still choose to disclose incidents that fall under the mandatory reporting policy. When this happens, be sure to be very transparent with the student about your next steps. Indicate where you will be making the report, why you are making the report, and the fact that future actions will be out of your hands. You can make a Title IX violation report here. Although each case is different, it may be helpful to give your student a brief overview of what to expect next:

1. A Title IX investigator will contact the complainant to collect more information.
2. A Title IX investigator will contact the respondent (the accused) to notify them of any allegations made, as well as potentially collect more information.
3. Both the complainant and the respondent may request an advisor to walk them through the process.
4. Retaliation from the respondent is highly discouraged, and confidentiality will be maintained.
5. A comprehensive investigation of the allegation will be conducted, and all parties will attempt to find a resolution (whether formal or informal). This process may require a hearing.
6. All parties can request further resources, such as mental health counseling, a leave of absence, escort services, or academic/work deadline extensions.

While this investigation will likely not directly involve you, it may be beneficial to follow up with the student to check in with them as they go through this process. Checking in demonstrates that you are concerned about their well-being, and allows you to ask how the process is impacting the student’s class performance. It is likely that a Title IX investigation is disruptive to their class work. If this is the case, you should encourage them to advocate for themselves, and ask for extensions and grace from instructors/professors during this time.

Helping Students with Unique Circumstances