Rule 1027 There is no privilege under this article if all of the following circumstances exist: (a) The patient is a child under the age of 16.

Normally, what a patient tells a psychotherapist stays private. But this rule creates an exception for young children.

If a child is under 16 and their therapist has good reason to believe the child was a crime victim, the therapist can share what the child said. The therapist must also believe that sharing the information is good for the child, not just the case.

This means a therapist working with a young child is not required to stay silent if they think the child has been harmed. The child's safety and well-being come before the usual privacy protections.