Extensive research has identified risk factors for crime, violence, and drug abuse during this period. Prenatal and perinatal risk factors include perinatal difficulties such as premature deliveries, minor physical abnormalities, and brain damage. Risk factors from birth to age 4 occur mainly in the family setting and include alcoholism in the family, poor family management practices, family conflict, and parental attitudes toward and involvement in crime and drug abuse. The early factors continue to predict later health and behavior problems from ages 4 to 6. During this period early antisocial behavior and academic failure are additional risk factors. Community risk factors that affect children from birth include economically deprived areas and disorganized neighborhoods with high density and high rates of crime and violence. Protective factors include those inherent in the individual, those related to the development of social bonding, and healthy beliefs and clear standards for behavior. Effective early interventions include routine prenatal and perinatal medical care, intensive health education for the mother, immunizations, parent training, programs to enhance parent-child interaction, child cognitive development activities, structured educational child care, and social competence curricula. The Communities That Care strategy exemplifies a comprehensive, long-term, communitywide approach that allows communities to tailor early intervention efforts to their characteristics and needs. Note and 53 references