{"id":5146,"date":"2025-02-18T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/?p=5146"},"modified":"2025-03-03T23:47:05","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T23:47:05","slug":"how-to-avoid-answering-sensitive-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/how-to-avoid-answering-sensitive-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid Answering Sensitive Questions [Updated]"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/how-to-avoid-answering-sensitive-questions\/#Things_to_Remember\" >Things to Remember<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/how-to-avoid-answering-sensitive-questions\/#Handling_Sensitive_Questions\" >Handling Sensitive Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/how-to-avoid-answering-sensitive-questions\/#Say_%E2%80%9CNo%E2%80%9D\" >Say &#8220;No&#8221;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/how-to-avoid-answering-sensitive-questions\/#Turn_the_situation_into_a_teachable_moment\" >Turn the situation into a teachable moment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/how-to-avoid-answering-sensitive-questions\/#Be_vague\" >Be vague<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/how-to-avoid-answering-sensitive-questions\/#Introduce_ways_to_politely_ask_sensitive_questions\" >Introduce ways to politely ask sensitive questions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/how-to-avoid-answering-sensitive-questions\/#Wrap-up\" >Wrap-up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>It happens every now and then: a student asks a question that is too personal or just not appropriate for a lesson. It puts you in an uncomfortable position and could even bring the lesson to an awkward stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the time, these are innocent mistakes, and situations that are serious enough to contact Tutor Support are rare. But even the less-serious cases need to be handled carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How can you avoid sharing sensitive information and help your students keep away from touchy topics in the future? This post will cover a few ways to handle these types of situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Things_to_Remember\"><\/span><strong>Things to Remember<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"584\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/31032007\/sensitive_questions_4-1024x584.jpg\" alt=\"Hanging flags representing various countries\" class=\"wp-image-6658\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/31032007\/sensitive_questions_4-1024x584.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/31032007\/sensitive_questions_4-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/31032007\/sensitive_questions_4-768x438.jpg 768w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/31032007\/sensitive_questions_4-700x400.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, as mentioned in the <a href=\"https:\/\/tutorsupport.reamaze.com\/kb\/others\/how-to-deal-with-inappropriate-student-behavior\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FAQ<\/a>, it's important to keep in mind that a question you feel is rude or inappropriate may not seem that way to the student who asked you. Any communication between people from different cultures brings a possibility for misunderstandings like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So chances are good that your student is not trying to offend you or make you feel uncomfortable \u2014 they simply may not realize their questions could be considered inappropriate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that in mind, let's look at some ways to avoid answering those unwanted questions and move the lesson in a better direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Handling_Sensitive_Questions\"><\/span>Handling Sensitive Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Say_%E2%80%9CNo%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><strong>Say &#8220;No&#8221;<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The most direct way of handling these situations is to simply say that you will not answer the question. This can still be done politely, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I'm sorry, but I'd prefer not to talk about that.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I'm sorry, but I don't want to share that information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I don't mean to be rude, but I don't want to answer that question.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also replace \"I'm sorry\" with the more casual \"No offense.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No offense, but I'd rather not say.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This can be followed up by moving the conversation back to the material or a more appropriate discussion of the topic of the lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Let's stay on topic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Let's go back to the material, please.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Turn_the_situation_into_a_teachable_moment\"><\/span><strong>Turn the situation into a teachable moment<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, most of our students are not trying to offend anyone. They would likely appreciate it if you told them their question was inappropriate so that they don't repeat the mistake with you or anyone else. We can do this in a few different ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You should know that in some cultures, asking others about \u2013\u2013 is impolite.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also use the opportunity to introduce some vocabulary that may be new to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do you know what a \"taboo\" is? It\u2019s a topic that people do not talk about in public. Asking about \u2013\u2013 is a taboo in my country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Talking about \u2013\u2013 is taboo in my culture\/country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sorry, but that topic is off limits, which means I'd rather not talk discuss it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Be_vague\"><\/span><strong>Be vague<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/10\/04082538\/sensitive_questions_1-1024x630.jpg\" alt=\"A stylized image of a detective being confused by a collection of footsteps on the ground\" class=\"wp-image-6347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/10\/04082538\/sensitive_questions_1-1024x630.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/10\/04082538\/sensitive_questions_1-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/10\/04082538\/sensitive_questions_1-768x473.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another way to deal with awkward or unwanted questions is to give only some information in response. Expressions like \"Let's just say ~\" and \"All I will say ~\" can be useful if you are presented with a sensitive question.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-left\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/02\/22141639\/avatar_15.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">Tutee<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\">How old are you?<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-right\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/02\/22141635\/avatar_14.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">Tutor<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\">Let's just say I'm old enough to vote.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Again, follow up your vague answer with a comment or question of your own to move away from the sensitive topic.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-right\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/02\/22141635\/avatar_14.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">Tutor<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\">So, you were telling me about the festival in your hometown \u2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Answering a question vaguely can save you in the moment, but the real goal is to help the student understand that their question was not acceptable so that they don't ask similar questions in the future. This is especially true for anything that could be considered harassment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If their behavior goes beyond an innocent mention of taboo topics, you may need to warn them that you will end the lesson if they continue.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-right\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/02\/22141635\/avatar_14.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">Tutor<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\">If you keep asking about this, I'll have to end the lesson early today.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>If the troubling behavior doesn't stop, end the lesson and contact Tutor Support. If you're not sure about what is acceptable and what isn't, read more about it in our help page on <a href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/support#reamaze#0#\/articles\/how-to-deal-with-inappropriate-student-behavior\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dealing with inappropriate student behavior<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduce_ways_to_politely_ask_sensitive_questions\"><\/span><strong>Introduce ways to politely ask sensitive questions<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"717\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/10\/04082601\/sensitive_questions_2-1024x717.jpg\" alt=\"A street sign depicting a person entering a space carefully and cautiously\" class=\"wp-image-6348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/10\/04082601\/sensitive_questions_2-1024x717.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/10\/04082601\/sensitive_questions_2-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/10\/04082601\/sensitive_questions_2-768x538.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After you've explained that their question was unacceptable or could be considered rude, you're presented with another teachable moment. Introduce some expressions they can use to carefully bring up sensitive topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>May I ask you a personal question?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I hope I'm not being rude by asking you \u2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is it OK if I ask you about \u2026?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure to remind them that even if they ask politely, the other person (in this case, <em>you<\/em>!) can still refuse to answer, and in such cases, they should move to another topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wrap-up\"><\/span><strong>Wrap-up<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Successful tutoring requires <a href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/customer-service-concepts-that-apply-to-online-tutoring\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">many skills<\/a>. The ability to handle awkward situations while staying professional and protecting the feelings of others is just one of them. Remember that Tutor Support is available to assist you if you feel a student has crossed a line in a serious way.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the <a href=\"https:\/\/tutorsupport.reamaze.com\/kb\/others\/how-to-deal-with-inappropriate-student-behavior\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">help page<\/a> mentioned earlier, here's <a href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/2021\/07\/11\/awkward-situations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">another article<\/a> with more tips on how to handle awkward situations when tutoring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It happens every now and then: a student asks a question that is too personal or just not appropriate for a lesson. It puts you in an uncomfortable position and could even bring the lesson...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":432,"featured_media":5147,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[26,61],"class_list":["post-5146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-online-tutoring","tag-cross-cultural-communication","tag-sensitive-topics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Avoid Answering Sensitive Questions [Updated] | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Inappropriate questions pop up in lessons from time to time. They can catch you off guard. How do you respond? 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