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The Miseducation of Cameron Post

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a British American film about a teenage girl (Cameroon) who loses her parents in a car accident at a young age and later sent to a Christian center for conversion therapy after she is caught kissing another girl (Coley Tailor) (Danforth, 2017).  The movie is directed by Desiree Akhavan and depicts some of the challenges and discrimination that LGBTQ teenagers and youth go through in their social interactions with others in the community. This paper discuses the structural, developmental, and attachment issues that I would consider when working with this child (Cameron). It also highlights the consent issues and factors that are relevant in building a working relationship with the patient.

Structural Issues

Social structure is an aspect that plays an important role in the development and social interactions of individuals. In other words, it influences their beliefs, values, and how they view others and the world in general. In this regard, social structure can be defined as the distinctive social relationships that exist within a given society (Crossman, 2018). The structure is often established by a set of social institutions including media, religion, and education (Akers, 2017). As a result, it impacts the ideologies and interaction patterns of persons through shared values and accepted norms. In this case, the primary structural issue of the main character (Cameron) is a poor social support network based on the film.  That is to say, the church, friends, and close relatives of the patient condemn her for her “unacceptable” sexual identity and decide to send her to a Christian center for conversion therapy. As a result, she ends up joining bad company and escapes from the center without reforming (Danforth, 2017). The client will, therefore, need a strong social support network to confront her fears and discover her true sexual identity.

Developmental Issues

There are a number of developmental factors that one must consider when working with transgender children. For instance, the main character seems to be struggling with her sexual identity. That is to say, she is attracted to people of the same gender rather than boys (Mallon, 2017). In this regard, her first sexual encounter occurs when she is 12 years old after she shares her first kiss with her friend Irene and decides not to tell anyone to avoid getting into trouble. She later develops a crush for her classmate Coley Taylor while in high school and strikes up a friendship that gradually proceeds into a romantic one (Danforth, 2017).  The relationship, however, does not last long since Cameron is sent to a gay conversion therapy center by her aunt after she discovers about the “unacceptable” union. It is in this regard that the client needs to be assisted to discover and embrace her true sexual identity.

Attachment Issues

The attachment between children and their primary care giver plays a significant role in influencing their social interactions and their ability to express themselves later in life. In this case, studies have pointed out that children with a healthy relationship with their parents or primary care giver tend to have healthy relationships as adults (Cech, 2015). Based on the film, the main character (Cameron) lost her parents at a young age and seems to have a strained relationship with her aunt who is conservative and fails to understand or embrace her sexual orientation.  As a result, the child in question is likely to experience strained relationships later in life due to her negative childhood experiences (Zilberstein, 2014). As a result, I would find an effective approach to address these attachment issues while working with the client.

It is always important to seek consent from the relevant stakeholders before beginning work with any child/ client. As a result, I intend to seek consent from the client since she is old enough to be involved in decisions concerning her health and mental wellbeing (Cech, 2015). I will also consult her family members or immediate care giver before making any significant decision regarding the child to avoid any liability or breach of conduct (Mallon, 2017). Similarly, I will educate both Cameron and her primary giver about her mental wellbeing including the client’s developmental, structural, and attachment issues and how they can be addressed efficiently (Cech, 2015). Moreover, I will work from a strength based approach and establish trust, as well as, a safe environment for the child in order to build a strong working relationship.

In conclusion, The Miseducation of Cameron Post film is a story that brings to light the challenges that transgender children encounter within the society. Most of these children often face discrimination and rejection from their friends, family, and the society as a result of their sexual orientation or identity. It is therefore, important to always identify the developmental, structural, and attachment issues facing the children so as to address them appropriately. It is in this regard that I intend to consider these factors when working with Cameron.