This document provides a psychosocial assessment of Antwone Fisher based on his life story depicted in the film. It summarizes Antwone's background, including being abandoned by his mother at a young age and experiencing abuse and neglect in foster care. The assessment examines Antwone's development through Erikson's psychosocial stages and identifies challenges he faced in areas like self-control, intimacy, and group identity due to his traumatic childhood experiences including physical, emotional and sexual abuse. It describes his presenting problems of aggression and anger issues that led to his referral for psychiatric evaluation in the Navy.

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Running Header: Antwone Fisher
My Psychosocial Assessment of Antwone Fisher
LaTonya Shacklett
Coppin State University
Professor Tonya Philips
SOWK 389 101
December 8, 2011

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Abstract:
This paper will explore the like of Antwone Fisher. Based on a true story, this biographical
drama centered around Antwone "Fish" Fisher. In the beginning of the story, he was a sailor
prone to violent outbursts. On the verge of being kicked out of the Navy for repeated fighting, he
is sent to a naval psychiatrist for help. Refusing to open up, Dr. Davenport slyly slips his way
into getting Antwone to talk. Antwone eventually breaks down and reveals a horrific childhood
with neglect and abuse. With the help of Dr. Davenport, he is able to face his past and strive for
success to find the family he has never met. At the same time, he is able to turn his life around
and change it dramatically. In the end, he is reunited with both his father's side of the family and
his mother who has abandoned him. For the purpose of this paper I will complete a psychosocial
assessment based on background information given in the story. I will describe major problems
experienced by this age group; identify psychological, environmental and social variables, social
development changes and my reaction to the film.

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Who Will Cry for the Little Boy?
Who will cry for the little boy?
Lost and all alone.
Who will cry for the little boy?
Abandoned without his own.
Who will cry for the little boy?
He cried himself to sleep.
Who will cry for the little boy?
He never had for keeps.
Who will cry for the little boy?
He walked the burning sand.
Who will cry for the little boy?
The boy inside the man.
Who will cry for the little boy?
Who knows well hurt and pain.
Who will cry for the little boy?
He died again and again.
Who will cry for the little boy?
A good boy he tried to be.
Who will cry for the little boy?
Who cries inside of me?
By Antwone Fisher

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Identifying Information
Antwone serves as a Petty Officer in the United States Navy. He is single and
heterosexual, with no children.
Presenting Problems
Antwone was referred to the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Medical Center for psychiatric
evaluation, after pleading guilty to assault on a superior, non commissioned officer. As a result
of his physical aggression, he has been restricted to the boundaries of his U.S. Naval ship for 45
days, and ordered to perform 45 days of extra duty. He was demoted from ships serviceman
Petty Officer, third class, to ships serviceman Seaman. Antwone has a history of physical
aggression secondary to poor impulse control. Antwone referred for three sessions of psychiatry
service for assessment of physical aggression, anger management, and supportive treatment. At
the end of treatment, a recommendation by Dr. Davenport will be submitted to Antwone’s
commanding officer, for the purpose of determining reinstatement to active duty. According to
Antwone, he sees no need for evaluation, and states that the cause of physical assault was a result
of racial remarks by the victim. Antwone’s attitude towards fighting is stated in his words, “It’s
the only way some people learn.”
Antwone is a Seaman in the U.S. Navy, with steady income. Antwone currently receives
pay for his service in the United States Navy as a Seaman (recently demoted from position of
Petty Officer). Due to Antwone’s recent incident of assault, he has incurred a forfeiture of his
pay for two months, in the amount of $200.00 per month. Antwone does not own a home, and
lives in the barracks of the naval ship. Health and dental insurance are provided through U.S.
Navy benefits.

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Functioning
Antwone is currently in the later adolescent psychosocial crisis stage of Intimacy vs.
Isolation, the development task that must be completed are Autonomy from parents, gender
identity, internalized morality and career choice. The years from 18 to 24 are characterized by a
heightened sensitivity to the process of identity development. Personal identity is developed as
an individual struggles to answer questions. “What is the meaning of my life? Who am I? Where
am I headed?” For Antwone this is the most important question of them all. Due to him growing
up in foster care and not having any connection to his family he is left wondering “Why?”
During this stage there is a young man searching for himself and literally fighting for his
life, however, he uses the agitation of others as his punching bag. First we have autonomy from
parents; Antwone describes a critical turning point for him when he was a teenager he became
involved in a verbal altercation with his caregiver over money he errand. Antwone expressed
great pride in standing up for himself without the use of violence. In Antwone’s Memoir he
wrote, "It wasn't really the fear of her punishing me that kept me from telling anyone all those
years, “It was the unspeakable shame I felt about what went on with her ... and my unspeakable
shame that maybe it was my fault."
There were several stages in the psychosocial crisis stages that Antwone did not master
before moving to the next appropriate stage.
In the first stage of Infancy the psychosocial crisis stage is Trust vs. Mistrust. The
development tasks are maturation of sensory, perceptual, and motor functions, attachment,
sensorimotor intelligence and early casual schemes, understanding the nature of objects and
creating categories and emotional development. It is unknown to this writer if all developmental
tasks in this life stage were met.

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Antwone was born on August 3, 1959, to a 17-year-old prison inmate, Eva Mae Fisher.
His father Eddie Elkins, already deceased by the hand of the 19-year-old mother of his two
young daughters. The lost of his mother at two months of age lead one to believe that Antwone
might not have completing the first stage, during his first 3 months of life. Infants engage in a
variety of behaviors to include their beginning to internalize rhythmic patterns of interaction,
which become a foundation for expectations about interpersonal communication. Antwone was
later placed in a loving foster family where he was able to complete the remainder of this
psychosocial crisis stage completing the central process of mutuality with the caregiver.
The second life stage is Toddlerhood ages 2 and 3 with a psychosocial crisis of
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. The development tasks are elaboration of locomotion,
language development, fantasy play and self-control. At this stage it seemed that Antwone did
not complete the developmental tasks of self control which would hindered the successfully
move to the next stage. For toddlers, self-control is the ability to comply with a request, modify
behavior according to the situation, initiate or postpone action, and behave in a socially
acceptable way without having to be guided or directed by someone else. One of Antwone’s
presenting problems was physical aggression and his attitude towards fighting is stated in his
words, “It’s the only way some people learn.”
At the onset of age two Antwone moved into the Tate foster home in Cleveland, Ohio
only a few blocks from the family he would dream about. Antwone endured harsh punishment by
the hand of the Tate family, reports experiencing continual physical, emotional, verbal, and
sexual abuse. Often tied up and beaten, and then left in the dark basement after being tormented
by with fire while tied up by the hands of people he believed would protect and love him.

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The third life stage is Early School Age ages 4 to 6 with a psychosocial crisis of Initiative
vs. Guilt. The development tasks are gender identification, early moral development, self-theory
and peer play. Both gender identification and moral development are components of the child’s
self-concept. Both of which are fundamental to the way a child conceives of the self in relation to
the social world. This one statement by Antwone sums it all up, “I was ashamed of being
unwanted and not having parent.”
The next life stage Antwone missed a developmental tasks is Early Adolescence ages 12
to 18 with a psychosocial crisis of Group Identity vs. Alienation. The development tasks are
physical maturation, formal operations, emotional development, membership in the peer group
and romantic and sexual relationships.
Antwone reported experience difficulty when it came to intimate relationships. Antwone
reported being sexually abused from age six until he was a teenager by a Nadine a cousin
through his foster family, stating that the abuse included kissing and touching, penetration in
unknown. Antwone describes feeling anxious and uncomfortable in close relationships, stating,
“every time I let someone get close they leave me, everyone leaves.
In his autobiography, Finding Fish: A Memoir, Fisher recalled how painful and
confusing it was to think of the Tate’s as his family. "At first," he wrote, "I wasn't told anything
about being an orphan or a foster child. Even though everyone in the household had a different
last name, which was confusing, to the best of my understanding, the Picketts were my parents
and the other children of varying ages were my brothers and sisters. But for all that I didn't know
and wasn't told about whom I was, a feeling of being unwanted and not belonging had been

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planted in me from a time that came before my memory. And it wasn't long before I came to the
absolute conclusion that I was an uninvited guest."
Psychological, Social and Emotional Functioning
Antwone is well-groomed, cleanly shaven, wearing a pressed naval uniform. He stands
with a sense of purpose and greets commanding officer with a salute, showing appropriate
respect. He is well spoken and intelligent, with normal speech, and appropriate affect. Antwone
is soft spoken and maintains eye contact during conversation. He enjoys listening to music,
drawing, and writing poetry. He is fluent in two languages, and is currently studying a third
language.
Antwone has history of placement in the foster care system as well as a history of
homelessness. He is a Seaman in the U.S. Navy, with steady income. He currently receives pay
for his service in the United States Navy as a Seaman (recently demoted from position of Petty
Officer). Due to his recent incident of assault, he has incurred a forfeiture of his pay for two
months, in the amount of $200.00 per month. He does not own a home, and lives in the barracks
of the naval ship. Health and dental insurance are provided through U.S. Navy benefits.
Antwone’s strengths lie in that he is polite, charming, insightful, and resilient. The abuse
he has endured and lack of adequate social supports has created themes of insecure attachment,
low self-esteem, and false self. He shows both insight and resiliency in his comment, “Mrs. Tate
tried to turn us against each other so often, we started to hate each other, but I think we really just
hated ourselves.” Although client was resistant to disclosure at first, and refused to talk for the
first four sessions, he has become treatment compliant, able to communicate his psychosocial
needs, and is building the skills to get along with his peers and those in positions of authority.

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Antwone is initially guarded with poor eye contact, but becomes more engaged with
social interactions. He smiles while talking about Reverend Tate, but his smile quickly drops as
does his eye contact, when asked about Mrs. Tate. Antwone often diffuses with humor, to ease
anxiety. He became observably upset, over discussion of Jesse’s death, appearing mad at Jesse
for robbing the store and for getting shot. He states, “He left me and he knew he was the only
one I had…Jesse was the lucky one because he didn’t have to fight anymore.”
Sexual and Emotional Relationship
Antwone has never been married but has a girlfriend, Cheryl, who also serves in the U.S.
Navy. According to the client, their relationship is steady. He is sexually active with his
girlfriend, Cheryl, and identifies her as the woman to whom he lost his virginity. His girlfriend
is very supportive of his needs and goals, and a main emotional support during his recent search
for his biological family.
Antwone has a history of physical and sexual abuse, occurring during his placement in
foster care, with the Tate family. The sexual abuse began at the age of six, initiated by his cousin,
Nadine (cousin through foster family, not biological). Antwone reports that abuse included,
kissing and touching, penetration is unknown. He describes feeling anxious and uncomfortable in
close relationships, stating, “every time I let someone get close they leave me, everyone leaves.”
Antwone states that his friend Jesse, who is now deceased, is the only person to whom he has
disclosed his abuse.
Personal and Family History Relevant to Current Focus
Antwone was born in August 1976 at Ohio State Correctional Facility for women. His
mother, Eva Mae Fisher, was incarcerated at the time of his birth. He reports the reason for his

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mother’s incarceration is unknown. Antwone states he never met his father, Edward Elkins, as he
was murdered by an ex-girlfriend, two months before client was born. Only recently, had he
discovered that his father’s last name was Elkins. At birth, he was handed over to the state social
services, for decisions about temporary placement, where he was intended to stay until his
mother came to collect him, but she never did. Until recently, he states that he had never
attempted to locate his mother, although he fantasized about her throughout his childhood.
Antwone lived in an orphanage for two years until being placed in the Tate foster home
in Cleveland, Ohio. The head of the household was Reverend Tate and his wife, Mrs. Tate. He
was the middle child with two foster brothers, the oldest being Keith and the youngest Dwight. A
relative of the Tate’s, who he calls Cousin Nadine, also lived in the home. Antwone reports
experiencing continual physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse directed at himself and his
foster brothers in the Tate home. He was often tied up and beaten, then left in the dark basement
alone. Mrs. Tate would also torment client with fire while tied up. Antwone states that Reverend
Tate never beat him, “I think he pitied me and I liked him for it.” As a teenager, he raked lawns
to earn money. Antwone describes a critical turning point for him, was when he was a teenager
he got into a verbal altercation with Mrs. Tate over money. He expresses great pride in standing
up for himself, against Mrs. Tate, without the use of violence. He states he felt as though he had
risen above her and above her negative expectation of him, in a way, he felt as though he had
one. This altercation resulted in the client getting kicked out of the home, at which point, he
returned to the orphanage. Antwone reports that the orphanage sent him to a social reform school
in Pennsylvania due to concerns over poorly developed social skills. After emancipating at age
18, he was taken to a men’s shelter by a social services social worker, who gave him $67.00,
“and then I was on my own.” Stating he stayed in the shelter for one night and lived in

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homelessness, sleeping on park benches, after leaving the shelter. He then moved in with his
friend, Jesse, who lived with his mother and extended family members; stating that he witnessed
Jesse’s murder, when shot in the head at close range by a storeowner, during attempted robbery.
However, during his years of service, he has been under review and placed on restriction
multiple times, for incidents of physical aggression towards peers. Antwone has been estranged
from his foster family since he was a teenager, and states that he does not have plans to
reconcile, “They beat me, but they couldn’t destroy me, I’m still standing, I’m still strong, and I
always will be.”
Dr. Davenport the Helping Professional
A professional that nurtures the growth of or addresses the problems of a person's
physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional or spiritual well-being, is a helping professional.
Dr. Jerome Davenport, an African American psychiatrist crosses several boundaries while
treating Antwone. Their first sessions are largely characterized by the patient's squirming in
silence after stating, "You may be able to make me come here but you can't make me talk", and
Davenport's tough love.
Dr. Davenport crosses several boundaries while treating Antwone. Were the therapeutic
boundaries that he crossed beneficial because they support a certain treatment method or goal,
are they unavoidable, or are they unethical and possibly harmful for the patient? Davenport
usually schedules one to three sessions to evaluate a patient and to make recommendations. In
order to give Antwone the time necessary to open up and to let him carry the responsibility for
treatment success, the psychiatrist states that the three sessions do not start until Fisher begins
talking. To avoid putting pressure on Antwone, the psychiatrist does paperwork or eats a

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sandwich while waiting for his resistant patient to start speaking. According to the boundaries
that were set earlier, Davenport terminates after three productive therapy sessions. Since many
issues remain unsettled, Antwone acts out again by attacking a peer. He also explodes in the
clinic's waiting room and behaves toward Davenport in a highly inappropriate way. When
Antwone apologizes and says "I don't know what to do", the psychiatrist admits his mistake in
insisting on early termination and agrees to see him for ongoing weekly sessions. Later in their
work, the psychiatrist attempts to terminate again. This triggers his patient's abandonment issues.
When Antwone consequently describes another traumatic incident, Davenport sticks to his plan,
and tells his patient to contact him again only after he finds his family. What solidified this was
when he encourages Antwone to locate his family, Davenport says "I love you, son". If stated
outside the context of a therapeutic intervention, this might reflect the therapist's counter-
transference: Antwone becomes a surrogate son to the psychiatrist, who is himself in denial
about the pain of his childless marriage. If Davenport's professional judgment is impaired, an
emotionally exploitive dual relationship might develop that can be detrimental for Antwone's
treatment.
When Antwone makes a surprise visit to the psychiatrist's home, Davenport sets
boundaries clearly and quickly. As he takes on the role of a surrogate father, the psychiatrist
invites his patient to a family dinner at Thanksgiving. It appears as if Davenport designed this
invitation as a treatment intervention: because Antwone gets the opportunity to experience a
supportive family for the first time in his life, he has a corrective emotional experience. In other
cases such an invitation might be inappropriate, because it could lead to an interference with
therapeutic objectivity. In a subsequent scene they meet in a jail cell. This intervention seems
supportive and therapeutically necessary. Dr. Davenport says during one session, "I'm gonna

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give you my phone number. If you have any problems, any questions at all, you call me ... any
time of day or night. ... Give me a call, ok?" Assuming the therapist planned it as a re-parenting
intervention, this boundary crossing has a therapeutic purpose.
Maslow Hierarchy of Needs
The Basic Needs for Antwone would be the food at the dinner table. The Safety Needs
for Antwone would be when his friend Jesse takes him in off the streets when he was homeless.
The Belonging & Love for Antwone would be When Dr. Davenport and his wife invite him to
dinner, when Dr. Davenport tell him he loves him, the first time he makes love to Cheryl and the
moment he connects with his paternal family. The Self-Esteem for Antwone would be when
went back to the Tate home to find information about his family he was able to stand strong and
proud and said “you couldn’t destroy me, I’m still standing I’m still strong,” and when he
returned to his aunts home to find his family there to receive him with open arms. Self-
Actualization for Antwone was when he found his family and his dream came true.
The Parentified Child
Jessie played the role of the parentified child. He was Antwone’s best friend, his
confidant, and the keeper of his secrets. Whenever Antwone needed him he was there, it was
Jessie who would take him in whenever Antwone knocked on the door. When he was homeless,
Jessie took him in. Jessie provided food and shelter and cloths when he needed it.

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Discrimination
Light vs. Dark racism have been common in the black and just about any community
aside from northern Europeans. Light-skinned blacks have long discriminated against darker
skinned blacks--this probably goes back to the days when the "house slaves" were envied (and
usually lighter) by the "field slaves" for obvious reasons. Antwone's aunt, who was portrayed in
a good light, was of medium brown complexion, but his mother, who was not depicted with any
great sympathy by the film's conclusion, was played by a very dark-skinned woman. I just bring
this up because the film addresses black color consciousness-as Antwone says: "First the light-
skinned girls were adopted, then the light-skinned boys, and then the dark-skinned girls, and
finally the dark-skinned boys." Antwone recalls how his foster-mother would compare him
unfavorably with his half-white foster brother "He has good hair & skin & is better than you!"
Conclusion
A story of devastating pain and unquenchable hope which makes it understandable why
Antwone Fisher was an angry young man, prone to fight with his Navy shipmates. Born in a
woman's correctional facility, abandoned by his convict mother and his father murdered two
months before his birth, Fisher was raised in the abusive home of a storefront preacher and his
wife where he was beaten and sexually abused on a regular basis. Abandoned by friends, family
and caregivers, Fisher turned to the Navy for a sense of both himself and family—a goal put in
jeopardy by his frequent outbursts of violence.
What I realize after watching the film was just how much childhood traumas can affect us
greatly in our futures. Personally I can identify with the childhood abuse Antwone had to endure.

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When I was younger a man that I had trusted and considered an uncle, inappropriately touched
me, and then called me a liar when I told. As a child I was ridiculed by questions from the
women around me because of my “imaginary accusations” as they called them. This moment is
still vivid to me because I wondered for years why it was that I had to explain myself in the
situation as though I was on trial for an act that someone had committed against me. Although I
knew that I was telling the truth, it affected me immensely in my relationships with other men in
my adulthood, for I could never fully trust their motives for caring for me. Similar to Antwone in
his fear of connecting with another after his childhood traumas, I face the same battles in my
relationships now; always questioning love from another and constantly keeping my guard up
with others. When I see Antwone I am inspired that one day I will be able to connect to a man
and fully trust him; however I realize that I must face my own demons of the past in order to
move forward.