1. Running head: A PSYCHOLOGICALANALYSIS 1
A Psychological Analysis of the film Precious
Alesha Leonard
McDaniel College
CED 501-01
25 October 2016

2. A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 2
A Psychological Analysis of the film Precious
Most teenage girls wish to have parents who support them, boyfriends who love them,
and dreams of attending college in hopes of successful careers; but, this is not the case for
Claireece "Precious" Jones. Precious has dreams of being on the cover of a magazine, of dancing
in a BET music video, and of finding a light-skinned man to love her. While these dreams seem
reasonable for a sixteen-year-old girl, Precious's constant battle with oppression has hindered her
outlook on possibilities for her future.
Precious is sixteen-years-old, she has two children, one of which is experiencing autism,
and she is still attending junior high school. She reads at a second grade level, but she does enjoy
math. Her lack of proper grammar, reading skills, and writing skills may be due to the constant
stress she experiences at home. Her mother, Mary, is verbally and physically abusive; her father
raped her several times and is also the father of her two children. Precious lives in the ghetto, and
she and her mother are supported by the welfare checks Precious receives. Mary does not work;
she only leaves the house to play the lottery and make visits with social workers.
Although Precious faces adversity on a daily basis, she has moments when she finally
believes she is more than "ugly black grease to be wiped away" (Precious, 2009). Because of her
excellence in math, she is referred to an alternative school that will give her the proper tools to
earn her GED. She has a supportive teacher, Blu Rain, who is concerned for Precious's best
interest; she wants Precious to finish school to set a good example for her children. Mrs. Weiss, a
social worker at the welfare office, also supports Precious by ensuring she finds the answers
behind Mary's negative attitude and actions toward Precious. While Precious wants to be
comfortable enough to sit at the front of her classes, wants to develop a positive relationship with
her mother, and wants a strong male figure in her life, her circumstances encourage her anxiety,
depressive symptoms, aggression, and feelings of loneliness.

3. A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 3
In the final visit with Mrs. Weiss, Precious learns about how her sexual abuse with her
father initiated. Her father was more attracted to Precious than Mary. Mary remembers her
boyfriend reaching over and touching Precious while they were intimate; at this point Precious
was only three years-old. Mary expresses that she wanted her boyfriend to stop touching
Precious, but, during the moment, her boyfriend said it would be good for Precious. Mary
believed him, and this led to him abusing Precious throughout her entire childhood. Mary was
jealous of Precious, and she believed Precious took her man; however, Mary watched her
boyfriend rape Precious multiple times and did nothing about it. Because of this, Mary gained
resentment toward Precious which led to physical and emotional abuse.
According to Harden, trauma and maltreatment during the first three years of life may
lead to negative physical, developmental, and mental health outcomes during adulthood (Harden,
Buhler, & Parra, 2015, pp. 266-286). Since Precious experienced trauma at such a young age,
she must learn to cope with the difficulties of her childhood in order to ensure better experiences
for her own children. As a community mental health counselor, I believe the best intervention for
Precious is the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP). The NFP reaches out to first-time mothers who
are teenagers, of low socioeconomic status, and/or single. This program constitutes home-visits
by nurses with focus on the mother's education and work, pregnancy planning, improvement of
pregnancy outcomes, and the children's health and development. Randomized trials show this
intervention effective through reduced rates of infant injury up to age two, reduced reports to
Child Protective Services, and reduction of risk factors such as abuse, drug use, and dependency
on food stamps (Harden, Buhler, & Parra, 2015, pp. 266-286). I believe that Precious will
benefit from this intervention because she will have a better support system from the nurses than

4. A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 4
what she would have from Mary. Precious will be able to ensure her children's safety and will
have a better chance of promoting her children's physical and mental growth.
Precious clearly shows anxiety when in the classroom. Before she began attending the
alternative school, Each One, Teach One, Precious sat at the back of the classroom, and she
rarely participated in classroom discussions. On Precious's first day at Each One, Teach One she
was hesitant to walk into the classroom. Ms. Rain had to persuade Precious to join the rest of the
class, and when asked to share information about herself with her classmates, Precious initially
requests to skip her turn. Once Ms. Rain attempts to begin discussion, Precious interrupts and
wants to give her introduction. She states that she is only at the alternative school because she
had "problems" at her previous school-- she was expelled because she was pregnant for the
second time. She also indicates that she does not believe she is good at anything other than
cooking. Finally, she admits that she has never talked in class before and that she feels "here"
while she is in Ms. Rain's classroom. Precious's anxiety in school may be due to the emotional
abuse she experiences at home. Mary constantly tells Precious that she is stupid and that she is
not capable of learning anything.
Based on a meta-analytic review, researchers believe children who experience abuse
and/or neglect tend to have a lower language comprehension when compared to peers who report
not experiencing abuse or neglect (Sylvestre, Bussieres, & Bouchard, 2015, pp. 47-58). I believe
the best intervention to assist Precious with her anxiety is the CALM intervention. This
intervention entails a school nurse having 30-minute individual sessions with Precious over an
eight-week period. During these sessions Precious will speak with the nurse about anxiety-
provoking events, and she will work through cognitive behavioral strategies to help with her
anxiety. Research shows the CALM intervention is effective by having children calm down

5. A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 5
using relaxation methods, recognizing actions that will help reduce anxiety, listening to scary
thoughts and turning them into rational thoughts, and managing problems using problem-solving
strategies (Drake, Stewart, Muggio, & Ginsburg, 2015, pp. 121-131). This intervention will help
Precious become more confident in school, and it will also assist her cope with other anxiety-
provoking events.
Precious has been neglected her entire life. Between her father not being around unless he
needs sexual pleasure and her mother showing hatred toward her, Precious does not have a stable
environment with support, understanding, or feelings of love from attachment figures. When
Precious returns home from giving birth to her second child, Mary initially seems concerned. She
asks Precious where she has been and she asks to hold the baby. Once Mary has the baby in her
arms, she immediately shows her predicted character. She tells Precious to go get her a drink,
and then she tosses the baby onto the ground and begins yelling at Precious stating that she has
ruined her life, taken her man, and gotten her off of welfare. Precious throws Mary against a
wall, picks up her baby, and leaves; however, while running down the stairs, Precious tumbles
with her baby in her arms. Shortly after, while Precious is still on the ground, Mary throws a
television down the staircase, which Precious and her baby are able to dodge. The neglect
Precious is facing may be leading to the depressive symptoms she exposes: anxiety, weight gain,
agitation, sadness, and feelings of hopelessness.
Neglect from attachment figures throughout childhood increases the risk of maladaptive
thoughts and behaviors throughout adolescence and adulthood. Daniel asserts that neglect is
damaging to children's physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development (2015, pp.
82-94). Although researchers are still attempting to find the best intervention for helping children
who experience neglect, I believe Haddon's Matrix is a good intervention method for Precious

6. A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 6
and her children. Haddon's Matrix entails a table expressing the host, agent, and environmental
factors of multiple situations, including child neglect; this model provides a foundation for
recognition and intervention of child maltreatment (Scott, Lonne, & Higgins, 2016, pp. 408-419).
This model has three levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary. I believe the tertiary prevention
best fits Precious's needs. Haddon's Matrix of tertiary intervention addresses children who are
victims of abuse and provides coping strategies (Scott et al., 2016, pp. 408-419). I advise
Precious to use the trauma based therapy, educational and training support, and remedial
parenting skills training this model provides to help her move beyond the setbacks of her neglect
and prevent possibly neglecting her own children in the future.
Precious has built a lot of anger over the years. While Precious is still attending public
school, she has a physical encounter with one of her classmates. In her favorite class, math, one
of her classmates was being disruptive despite the teacher demanding him to stop. When the
student continues to be disruptive to the classroom and disrespectful toward Precious's favorite
teacher, she pushes her classmate. Precious shows more physical aggression during class at the
alternative school. One day the students were asked to take turns writing letters of the alphabet
on the chalkboard. When it was Precious's turn, she was supposed to write the letter "f;" once she
does this, one of her classmates comments, "'f' for fat." Because of this, Precious hits her
classmate for humiliating her. In the final meeting with Mary, Precious, and Mrs. Weiss, Mary
expresses her want to have a better relationship with Precious and her grandchildren. Mary
attempts to reminisce on past events that were "good" between her and Precious; however, Mary
does not even know when Precious was born. Mary says that Precious was born on a nice
summer day when, in fact, Precious was born in November. This is a major indicator to Precious

7. A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 7
that she needs to stay away from Mary. Precious shows emotional aggression when she walks
away from the meeting saying she does not want to see her mother again.
Precious receives relational aggression from Mary. Mary shows manipulative behaviors
such as social alienation and rejection; however, Precious shows the same aggression towards
Mary. Precious states her home-life would be better if she had her own television so she can
prevent having to watch shows with Mary. She also shows rejection when Mary confronts
Precious about her father dying from the HIV/AIDS virus. Mary asks Precious when she is
coming home from the advancement house, and Precious walks away without saying anything.
According the Splett, relational aggression is more prevalent in girls; however, nearly
50% of children in middle school report being victims of relational aggression (Splett, Maras, &
Brooks, 2015, pp. 2250-2261 ). I believe the best intervention to assist Precious with her
aggressive tendencies is Analog Therapy Sessions. These sessions allow clients to release anger
they may have from attachment difficulties. Analog Therapy has four strategies that are followed
in order: joining, empathic focus on anger, relational reframe, and empty chair (Narkiss-Guez,
Zichor, Guez, & Diamond, 2015, pp. 44-56). The first stage, which lasts roughly five minutes,
allows the client and counselor to form rapport. During the empathic focus stage, I will focus on
the events that lead to Precious's anger. The third stage will allow me to shift focus from the
causes of Precious's anger to the feelings she has regarding the consequences of her behaviors.
During the empty chair stage I will allow Precious to imagine her mother sitting in an empty
chair and express her vulnerable emotions that she elicited during the relational reframe stage.
Although the emphatic focus stage, relational reframe stage, and empty chair stage may all be
done separately, studies show the best result of reduced sadness and anger intensity occurs when

8. A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 8
all stages happen within the same session. (Narkiss-Guez et al., 2015, pp. 44-56). I believe this
intervention will help Precious think of the consequences of her actions before lashing out.
Although Precious seems to be growing into an independent and strong-minded woman,
she is rarely seen interacting with peers. Between being bullied and not being able to connect
with her classmates, she feels alone quite often. Underwood states that children and adults,
usually, tend to bully others because they have a strong want for belonging (Underwood &
Ehrenreich, 2014, pp. 265-270); however, I do not think this was the case when Precious was
pushed on the ground, while pregnant, because she did not pay any attention to a group of men
trying to get her attention. In order to help their children learn to deal with bullying, parents must
understand the situation and have a genuine interest in preventing future bullying (Kolbert,
Shultz, & Crothers, 2014, pp. 1-20). Mary does not care enough about Precious to be concerned
about how her peers are treating her. Therefore, I believe with the new friends Precious has made
at the alternative school, peer support will be the best intervention to help Precious face the
challenges of bullying. I think the best components of peer support are befriending schemes, peer
mediation, and active listening (Cowie, 2011, pp. 287-292). These components, combined, will
help Precious develop stronger interpersonal skills to defend herself against peers who constantly
attempt to destroy her confidence.
Although Claireece "Precious" Jones wishes to live a "normal" life, she must face the
difficulties of her socioeconomic status, her lack of confidence, and her damaged personal
relationships. Having support systems like Ms. Rain and Mrs. Weiss allows for Precious to gain
hope for a more successful future. I believe the interventions for Precious's anxiety, depression,
aggression, and feelings of loneliness through bullying will allow Precious to become more

9. A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 9
confident with herself, be able to move forward from past experiences, and, ultimately, be the
mother to her two children that she wishes she had while growing up.

10. A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 10
References
Cowie, H. (2011). Peer support as an intervention to counteract school bullying: Listen to the
children. Children and Society. 25, pp. 287-292. doi:10.1111/j.1099-0860.2011.00375.x
Daniel, B. (2015). Why have we made neglect so Complicated? Taking a fresh look at
noticing and helping the neglected child. Child Abuse Review. 24, pp. 82-94. doi:
10.1002/car.2296
Drake, K., Stewart, C.E., Muggeo, M.A., & Ginsburg, G.S. (2015). Enhancing the capacity of
school nurses to reduced excessive anxiety in children: Development of the CALM
intervention. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing. 28(3), pp. 121-130.
doi: 10.1111/jcap.12115
Harden, B.J., Buhler, A., & Parra, L.J. (2015). Maltreatment in infancy: A developmental
perspective on prevention and intervention. Trauma Violence Abuse. 17(4), pp. 366-386.
doi: 10.1177/1524838016658878
Kolbert, J.B., Schultz, D. & Crothers, L.M. (2014). Bully prevention and the parenting
involvement model. Journal of School Counseling. 12(7), pp. 1-20.
Magness, G., & Siegel-Magness, S. (Producers), & Daniels, L. (Director). (2009). Precious
[Motion Picture]. United States of America: Lionsgate.
Narkiss-Guez, T., Zichor, Y.E., Guez, J., & Diamond, G.M. (2015). Intensifying attachment-
related sadness and decreasing anger intensity among individuals suffering from
unresolved anger: The role of relational reframe followed by empty-chair interventions.
Counseling Psychology Quarterly. 28(1), pp. 44-56. doi: 10.1080/09515070.2014.924480
Scott, D., Lonne, B., & Higgins. D. (2016). Public health models for preventing childhood
maltreatment: Applications from the field of injury prevention. Trauma Violence Abuse.
17(4), pp. 408-419. doi: 10.1177/1524838016658877
Splett, J.D., Maras, M.A., & Brooks, C.M. (2015). GIRLSS: A randomized, pilot study of a
multisystemic, school-based intervention to reduce relational aggression. J Child Fam
Stud.24, pp. 2250-2261. doi: 10.1007/s10826-014-0027-0
Sylvestre, A., Bussieres, E., & Bouchard, C. (2015). Language problems among abused and
neglected children: A meta-analytic review. Child Maltreatment. 2(1), pp. 47-58. doi:
10.1177/1077559515616703
Underwood, M.K. & Ehrenreich, S. E. (2014). Bullying may be fueled by the desperate need
to belong. Theory Into Practice. 53(4), pp. 265-270. doi:10.1080/00405841.2014.947217

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