These effects of social withdraw, however, likely apply only to a minority of our target youth as not all teens with a history of internalizing symptoms will withdraw from their peers. Yet, a history of internalizing symptoms may still leave children progressing along the internalizing pathway with the interpersonal skills deficits that they bring into adolescence. Rather than leading to social withdrawal, these interpersonal deficits may simply steer these youth away from mainstream peer associations, leaving them to find acceptance with more deviant peers. Due to shifting peer contexts, opportunities for social interaction in marginalized groups of peers engaging in deviant behavior provide these socially awkward youth with peer acceptance. At the same time, such groups increase risk for engaging in deviant activities, such as substance use (as articulated by self-derogation theory, Kaplan, 1980 and social context theory, Dishion, Duncan, Eddy, & Fagot, 1994). For most youth, then, we expect to see the onset of substance use by mid-adolescence as social opportunities supportive of use expand and rates of depression are maintained (for boys) or increase (for girls; Angold, Costello, & Goodyer, 2001).
