Māori teen mothers : experiences of mentoring : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Social Work at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

Abstract

Parenting at any point in life is a demanding and often-difficult task, and for teen mothers these challenges are more intensified as they are simultaneously navigating adolescence. The central understandings and practices surrounding pregnancy and parenting for whānau Māori have changed substantially following the European settlement in Aotearoa New Zealand. This research has explored Māori teen mothers’ experiences of mentoring. It was conducted using the fundamentals of Youth development Strategy Aotearoa (YDSA) incorporating philosophical foundations of pūrākau, the Māori centred approached and it is underpinned by the qualitative method. This research gathered experiences and pūrākau from six Māori teen mothers in relation to their journey through pregnancy, parenting, and mentoring ending with their future goals and aspirations. A handful of key findings have been identified, that align with previously conducted studies and literature in this field, such as, the mental health issues that contribute to the challenges Māori teen mothers face, along with the continued stigma and judgment often associated with teen parenting, as well as the roles these mothers play in the community and in their whānau, what is more how they support them as teen parents and in their tamariki. The main conclusions and recommendations drawn from this study call for the necessity for increased support and research within the field of Māori teen mothers and their tamariki paying attention to provide further help and assistance for the development of teen mothers skills and the requirement for better support systems for further research into the benefits of improved mentoring services in the form of a longitudinal study, increased time and spaces to share their experiences and pūrākau, knowledge and backing about where to turn to for support in terms of service development and also to lift the stigma often associated with teen parenting.