What is the difference between confidentiality and privilege in social work contexts?

• A. Confidentiality is keeping information private; privilege is a legal right to refuse disclosure in court.
• B. Privilege is private; confidentiality is a legal right to refuse disclosure in court.
• C. Both are the same concept
• D. Confidentiality is public; privilege is private.

Answer: (A)

Confidentiality is the ethical duty to protect what a client tells you in the therapeutic relationship, meaning you generally keep that information private unless you have the client’s consent to share or an exception applies (like mandated reporting, risk of harm, or abuse). It governs everyday practice and helps build trust, with specific limits defined by law and professional ethics.

Privilege is a legal protection that comes into play in court. It gives the client the right to refuse to disclose confidential communications, so those conversations aren’t admitted as evidence unless the privilege is waived or an exception applies. Privilege is not about the day-to-day practice of protecting information; it’s about whether certain confidential communications can be disclosed in a legal proceeding.