Assignment: Challenges in Contemporary Youth Culture
Children and adolescents face multiple challenges as a result of attempting to adhere to the norms of their youth culture. For example, an
adolescent attending a party might feel pressured by friends to use drugs or drink alcohol. As a future child and adolescent clinician,
you must develop empathy and understanding of the pressures and expectations of adhering to child and adolescent cultural norms and the
various ways adhering to these norms might affect a child or adolescent.
For this Assignment, from the list of suggested films in this week’s resources, select a film depicting contemporary child or adolescent
culture. As you view the film you selected, consider the types and amount of challenges the children or adolescents faced in the film.
Consider how the challenges might have an impact on your ability to develop empathy as a child and adolescent clinician.
The Assignment (2–3 pages):
• Based on the film, explain three challenges children or adolescents faced while attempting to adhere to and/or cope with normative youth
culture and why you chose these challenges.
• Explain two ways you might develop empathy related to the children and/or adolescents in the film. Be specific.
• Explain one way you might address one of the challenges children or adolescents faced in the film and how. Justify your response.
• Explain any insights you had related to your understanding of contemporary youth culture based on the film you selected. Also, include
an explanation of how your understanding of youth culture in the film may help you be an effective child and adolescent clinician. Be
specific.