In duty to warn, who are considered identifiable individuals?

• A. Identifiable individuals are those who can be reasonably identified as being at risk
• B. Identifiable individuals are anyone in the general population
• C. Identifiable individuals are individuals currently under treatment
• D. Identifiable individuals are government officials

Answer: (A)

In duty to warn, identifiable individuals are those you can reasonably identify as being at risk. This means the potential victim isn’t the general public or an unnamed group, but a specific person (or a clearly defined set of people) for whom you can determine a name, location, or other concrete details that allow you to warn them directly or take steps to protect them. The idea comes from the obligation to take reasonable precautions when there is a serious risk of violence, focusing on those who can be identified and informed.

So, someone who can be identified by name, specific address, workplace, or other precise information fits the standard. By contrast, broad categories like “the general population” or “people currently under treatment” don’t meet the identifiability criterion unless you can actually pinpoint a specific individual or a clearly defined group with enough detail to warn them. Government officials aren’t automatically included unless there’s a particular, identifiable person at risk.