Risk and protective factors for children's substance use and antisocial behavior following parental divorce.

Social networks and personal resources were examined as risk or protective factors for substance use and antisocial behavior in children five years after parental divorce. Children of divorce reported significantly more substance-using friends and less use of coping and social skills than children whose parents had not divorced. Findings suggest the importance of focusing on substance use as well as mental health outcomes in preventive interventions for children of divorce.