A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, 2018. / In this study, the qualitative approach was used to study the experiences of growing up as a stepchild. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of growing up as a stepchild for young adults at university level. Half of the participants were male and half were females between the ages of 18 and 25. The results were presented as themes that were found to be common amongst the participants’ narratives. The themes are discussed and recommendations were made for functional stepfamily relationships and environment.