Maternal experiences of childhood Pacific Island mothers in New Zealand

The increase in reported acts of abuse within Pacific Island families in New Zealand raises the question of possible differences in Pacific child raising practices and expectations, including perceptions of what types of behaviour are abusive and what is disciplining. All too little research is available in this area. This study looks at parenting practices generally, focusing particularly on Pacific women’s perceptions of the way they were raised, in terms of the abusive and nurturing behaviours they experienced from male and female parents. The study group comprised more than 1200 mothers whose babies were born at Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, in 2000. Results suggest that abusive and supportive behaviours co-exist; physical abuse being recalled more strongly than emotional abuse, and mothers seeming both more abusive and more supportive than fathers. In terms of ethnicity, Tongan (and most other) mothers reported lower abuse rates and higher rates of supportiveness than Samoan mothers. Significantly, mothers born in New Zealand were more likely to report maternal and paternal abuse than those born in the Islands, though place of birth showed no significant effect on maternal and paternal love and support. Clearly, more research and discussion are necessary.