This study is an attempt to better understand the experience of self-destructive behaviour in
First Nations adolescent girls by telling their stories, discussing factors that may contribute to the
behaviours, and providing counselling insight. Not every Native girl experiences self-destructive
behaviour, however those that do require more effective solutions to their problems. There is
ample literature regarding non-Native girls and their experiences with self-destructive behaviour.
This is not the case with Native girls, and this study is an attempt to fill the literature gap, and at
the same time provide insight into counselling practice.
Many factors may contribute to the experience of self-destructive behaviour in First Nations
adolescent girls (e.g., gender, developmental stages, parenting, cultural norms and values, and
discrimination). The combination of these issues compounds each other and creates the context
for the experience of self-destructive behaviour specific to Native girls. This reality puts them at
risk for truancy, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, depression,
anxiety, eating disorders, self-harming, and ultimately suicide.
In order to understand the circumstances or events that lead to a young Native woman's
experience with self-destructive behaviour I interviewed three women using in-depth, semi
structured interviews. When answering the open-ended questions I asked, the interviewees
revealed a story with a beginning, middle, and end. This story reflected the different stages in
their lives, childhood, adolescence, and eventually young adulthood. Analysis of the interviews
through theme identification revealed common threads through each woman's life. Although
each woman had unique experiences, their stories revealed many commonalties. These common
themes reflect factors that counsellors should consider when counselling First Nations girls who
are experiencing self-destructive behaviour.
The results of the study suggest that counsellors should not isolate factors that lead to self-destructive
behaviour. For example, First Nations girls experience not just racism or neglectful
parenting — they experience both of the factors. The contributing factors begin early in life and
compound one another as the girl's life progresses.
Hopefully, this study contributes to the betterment of individual Native girls, also to the
betterment of the families' and communities' health.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/10393 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Davis, Sarah |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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