Protecting victims of violent patients while protecting confidentiality.

In this article I revisit Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (1976), a case decided by the California Supreme Court in 1976 and followed in whole or in part in approximately 33 U.S.

Some contrarian concerns about law, psychology, and public policy.

I discuss six issues that may cut against the majoritarian grain. They are: (1) The U.S.

Case vignette: to share or not to share.

For years, the notion that researchers should share data freely with fellow scientists has been discussed widely. Some argue that this is especially true when the data are generated in federally funded projects. A recent provision in the reauthorization bill for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would ensconce this principle in law.

Case vignette: Niki goes to school -- autonomy, control, and psychiatric hospitalization.

The following is a description of a case and a discussion by professionals of the ethical issues raised. Niki turned 18 years old just 3 months ago. She is a freshman student at Central State University, where her father is also a faculty member.