When an 11 year old boy you are counselling reveals he is smokiing marijuana, should you inform his father?
Jamie is an 11 year old boy you have been seeing for 6 weeks. He is in counselling because his father, who has sole custody, tells you Jamie has been stealing from him, even though he gets $10 pocket money a week to spend.
According to Jamie’s father, the amounts have been substantial, ranging from $30 to $75. Jamie admitting taking some money but claimed it was only a few dollars. Jamie has told you he resents his father for rarely being home and that he took the money to punish him.
Jamie later confides in you that he has twice used some of the money to buy marijuana.
You believe you can help him deal with his anger toward his father. You think Jamie’s pressing problem is his experimentation with marijuana, and wonder if he is doing that as a form of rebellion. Based on some of what Jamie has told you, you have reason to believe he does not care about the consequences of his behaviour, and you are concerned that he might experiment with other substances.
What should you do?
It is proposed that Jamie’s father should be informed of his use of marijuana.