FACTORS PREDICTING RISK AND RESILIENCE IN CHILDREN OF DIVORCE
Historically, research on children and divorce has focused more on risk factors for
negative outcomes than on protective factors that influence positive outcomes (Emery &
Forehand, 1994). Recent research has clarified that the absence of risk is not the same as
protection. For example, a child is not protected by the absence of conflict between parents
if there is abandonment or disengaged parenting. Multiple factors operate in combination
to produce heightened risk or resilience in children. Thus, multiple approaches are needed
from families, schools, communities, and the legal system to provide support to children.
Although more research is clearly needed to identify pathways to wellness following
divorce, some protective factors have been identified that offer important empirical information
for designing the content of children’s programs. For the purposes of this article,
only those factors that are modifiable and applicable to preventive interventions for children
are discussed (see Table 1). See the articles by Emery et al. and Wolchik et al. in this special
issue for further discussion of Family Factors.