Exactly what I'm talking about

Earlier, I argued that the state's public proclamation that public universities must notify the parents of mentally ill students believed to pose a danger to themselves or others could have a chilling effect on students' willingness to seek treatment at student health facilities. While the new law sets the bar for contacting parents fairly high (there must be a "substantial likelihood" of harm in the near future), that latter part of the message won't always get through, and here are some examples why.

A prominent article on the Charlottesville Newsplex web site bears the headline "UVa To Notify Parents of Mentally Ill Students." A headline from The Daily Progress reads, "UVa to warn of mental illness signs," while another from the web site of WHSV 3 (Harrisonburg) says, "UVA Policy to Tell Parents." Statements qualifying these blunt headlines come only later in the article, and they're probably too vague to put concerned students at ease.