Imminent threat to safety

• A. An ethical rule prohibiting any disclosure.
• B. A limited permission to share with specific professionals.
• C. Disclosing information only to the client.
• D. An ethical exception permitting disclosure when necessary to prevent a client from committing a crime or fraudulent act likely to result in death or substantial bodily harm.

Answer: (D)

When there is a real danger to someone’s safety, confidentiality isn’t absolute. A recognized exception allows disclosure to prevent serious harm when a client’s threat is imminent. This means sharing enough information to warning potential victims or involve the right authorities if needed, so the harm can be averted. The option describes exactly that kind of exception: you may disclose when it’s necessary to prevent a crime or fraudulent act likely to result in death or substantial bodily harm. The emphasis is on protecting life by allowing timely, targeted disclosure rather than keeping secrets at the expense of safety. While preserving confidentiality is important, it yields to this safety-based exception in clear, imminent-threat situations. The other choices keep confidentiality too rigidly or restrict sharing in ways that wouldn’t stop an imminent danger, so they don’t fit the scenario as well.