Personal Narratives Prompt Discussion Of Reporting Policy

Every Exonian has been through the process of writing a personal narrative for English. But sometimes the content of such narratives can carry consequences that involve the deans and even law enforcement.

These repercussions are divided into two major categories. If a student writes about drug or alcohol abuse, they may be approached by his or her teacher or placed into the ASAP program, usually at the teacher’s discretion.

“The next most important part is making sure the student is aware that what they’ve written about is something that has to be reported.”

In another case, if a student writes about an incident that gives an English teacher “reason to suspect that a child has been abused or neglected,” New Hampshire’s state reporting laws dictate that the teacher must report the suspicion to the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). Such a narrative is reported to the deans as well and oftentimes to the student’s adviser. The most common cases that trigger these reporting laws are narratives about child abuse, sexual abuse or hazing.

Narratives regarding drugs or alcohol do not incur any reporting obligations. As Dean of Students Melissa Mischke said, “I don’t hear about the drinking or the drugs [in narratives] because that’s not reportable. Drugs are [only] reportable if we witness or have firsthand knowledge from a witness that drug activity is happening.”

However, teachers often reach out to students, encouraging them to seek counselling or other help. “Especially when I was a prep, when I was writing drinking narratives, teachers would approach me afterwards and ask me, you know—‘are you okay, do you need anything?’” upper Margaux Morris said.

English instructor Todd L. Hearon said, “in particular cases where we think that a student might be at risk of harming him or herself, or harming others, then we would want to seek assistance, in a similar way to the ASAP system.”

Szu-Hui Lee, an Academy counselor, further elaborated on a teacher’s role. “If a student writes about something that they’re struggling with . . . then I think the faculty would check-in with the student, invite him/her to talk and perhaps refer the student to a counselor,” she said.

Lee emphasized that this conversation might happen regarding family relationships, peer relationships or any other issue troubling a student—not just drugs or alcohol. She also noted that a referral to the health center is not “automatic,” but instead based around dialogues between teacher and student.

In her case, Morris said  most teachers dropped the topic after she assured them that she “was doing fine” or seeking help. She said that no teacher reported her narratives to the health department or any other teacher.

If an underage Exonian writes a narrative detailing abuse or hazing, however, the situation is very different. New Hampshire’s Child Protection Act (Section 169-C:29) is then triggered, which requires that “any person having reason to suspect that a child has been abused or neglected shall report [to the DCYF].” This includes teachers, school officials and school counselors. A further definition of what neglect and abuse comprise can be found in New Hampshire state law, Chapter 169-C.

At the Academy, English instructors who read a narrative containing abuse or neglect pass them to the Dean’s office, which then files the report. “Let’s say a student writes a paper that has a situation where they have possibly been harmed at home by a parent,” Mischke said, “and they write about it in a paper. The teacher would need to report that to my office. And then we would discuss next steps.”

English instructor Becky Moore detailed her experience with reporting laws as a former chair of the English Department. “As situations that teachers thought required reporting came up, the teacher consulted with deans or department chairs about the various next steps adults needed to take,” she said.

Narratives that must be reported arise “occasionally, but not frequently,” according to Moore. “I cannot recall many—maybe one a year that I personally knew about, and I do not know what happened after they were reported,” she said. English Department Chair Lundy Smith confirmed that there were “maybe one or two a year, on average.” Mischke stated that narratives are reported to the deans “a few times per year.”

Frequency of reportable papers seems to vary by teacher and school year. English instructor Mercy Carbonell said that “in the last year, I have received more papers of this kind than I have in the past, and I am not quite sure why that may be.” On the other hand, Hearon reported that he had never encountered a narrative which triggered a reporting law.

After being reported to the Dean’s office, a report must be filed with the DCYF. “The child abuse reporting law really has the lowest bar in terms of reporting,” Mischke explained. “All you have to do as an educator or employee of the school is have a suspicion.”

According to state law, these reports must contain, if known, “the name and address of the child suspected of being neglected or abused and the person responsible for the child’s welfare, the specific information indicating neglect . . . the identity of the person or persons suspected of being responsible for such neglect or abuse and any other information that might be helpful in establishing neglect or abuse or that may be required by the department.”

Students are notified during this reporting process, according to Mischke, who emphasized that reporting such narratives is not up to the Academy. “The next most important part is making sure the student is aware that what they’ve written about is something that has to be reported,” she said. “We don’t have a choice; we’re obligated by law.”

The state penalty for knowingly violating New Hampshire’s reporting law is a misdemeanor charge. After filing a report with the DCYF, the focus of deans, teachers and counselors turns toward supporting the student. Mischke discussed how difficult the process can be, especially for students unaware of the reporting laws before writing. “Maybe they’re not ready to talk about something that’s happened, in terms of child abuse, or sexual assault, and it often feels like we’ve kind of pulled the rug out from under them,” Mischke said.

Acknowledging how vital support is for these students, Carbonell said that “victims of abuse hav[ing] the chance to get professional support is essential; that we have trained counselors who can help students navigate the often very painful emotional and psychological landscape of speaking out is essential.”

Lee elaborated on the roles and services of counselors at the Academy. “We offer individual counseling, one-on-one sessions where kids can talk openly about whatever they might be thinking and feeling . . . Some of the impacts and reactions might not be clear right away; some people might have different emotions a month later, two months later, a year later,” she said.

Jeanne Stern, head counselor, added that, “Our role really depends on where the student is and whether it might benefit the student to talk about it.”

An investigation by law enforcement can introduce another complex factor into a student’s well-being. Once a suspicion of abuse or neglect is reported to the DCYF, “DCYF ultimately makes the decision whether law enforcement will investigate or not,” Lee said. “We are not decision-makers in that at all.” DCYF sometimes chooses to investigate and sometimes does not. But Lee explained that counselors continue to support students in the case of an investigation. “[Support] may include being present when they’re being investigated, so a student never feels like he or she has to sit with a police officer or a representative from DCYF alone,” she said.

Some teachers noted hat the primary purpose of the English Department at Exeter should be education, not counseling. “Writing an English narrative can be therapeutic for some students, but it isn’t supposed to be therapy; it’s supposed to be educational,” Mischke said.

“We don’t want our English Department writing program to be about confessionals,” Smith said. “We’re not out to look for these things; we’re here to teach kids how to write.”

Although some may view the reporting laws as a fault in the writing process, Moore explained how they can benefit students struggling to overcome abuse or neglect. “I think that abusive and hazing situations often promote secrecy in ways that are to the victim’s detriment,” she said. “By having an opportunity to even consider sharing such a secret, I think that victims may make steps to confrontation and recovery, so I do not think that the laws in the long run harm the process of reflective narrative writing.”

Smith added that the reporting laws, in conjunction with support from teachers and deans, can be a positive influence, especially if “students have stories that they feel compelled to tell.”

Other teachers gave very nuanced views on the act of writing. “What’s the purpose of writing any particular piece?” Hearon asked. “Is it self-therapy? Is it the writer seeking communication and solidarity with others? Is it simply the need or the desire to share something that is haunting the writer? And all those are valid reasons for writing, but they have to be balanced by the concern for audience.”

Almost all teachers agreed that it was necessary to make all students aware of New Hampshire’s reporting laws and what they entail. Moore mentioned that during her time as department chair, “teachers were asked at the beginning of the term to remind students of the teacher's responsibility to report any issues of abuse and hazing read in student papers.”

However, when asked whether the students who write narratives about abuse or neglect are generally aware of New Hampshire’s reporting laws, Mischke said that, “Sometimes they are, and sometimes they’re not.”

When asked whether the English department should devote more attention to making all students aware of these reporting laws, Hearon answered that, “Definitely . . . and I think our department is moving in that direction. I think it’s only fair to let the students know that these laws exist.”

Stern and Lee noted that whenever a student steps into their offices, they first make them aware of the state reporting laws. “We always will say to kids: ‘what you talk about is private, and there are certain exceptions, and the exceptions are if someone is the victim of a crime, or someone is unsafe,’” Stern said.

Lee further added that, “Sometimes there can be a lot of misunderstandings, or even myths, out in the community that can be quickly dispelled if we just talk about it,” noting that the situation is similar in the English department and counseling department.

Hearon mentioned that reporting laws had become a “hot topic” in the English department this year, and Smith largely agreed. “It’s something we’re certainly talking about as a department,” Smith said, “and we’re hoping to get a statement out for the kids before the start of next year’s school year.”

While English teachers move toward more information in their syllabi, the Dean’s office is considering possible additions to the E Book. “In the E Book, there is a section on New Hampshire laws,” Mischke said, “and what I’m doing is working on some of the language, basically to add to the places where it’s necessary, a bolder statement about reporting requirements.”

“I don’t think anyone wants people to be caught off-guard,” Stern said. Teachers generally agreed, and every teacher stressed that dealing with heavy topics in narratives, especially those that trigger reporting laws, can be extremely difficult for students, teachers and administration alike. As Carbonell said, “there is a real power, as well as a real danger, in revisiting trauma.”