A R T I C L E EXAMINING PROTECTIVE FACTORS AND RISK FACTORS IN URBAN AND RURAL HEAD START PRESCHOOLERS Stacy L. Bender, Megan C. Fedor, and John S. Carlson Michigan State University This study examined a comprehensive screening model within children attending Head Start programs from urban (n 5 232) and rural (n 5 231) communities. The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA; LeBuffe & Naglieri, 1999) was used to measure social- emotional protective factors (i.e., Total Protective Factors [TPF]) and risk factors (i.e., Behavior Concerns [BC]) within children that resided in two different community settings. Children from low-income rural programs received higher scores on a subscale measuring children’s relationship to adults (i.e., Attachment subscale). Additionally, children from low-income urban programs received higher scores on children’s ability to self-regulate (i.e., Self-Control subscale). Significant differences between children from rural and urban settings were not found on the primary scales (BC or TPF) of the DECA. Statistically significant gender differences by community-type were not found. Findings contribute to the literature by illustrating that community characteristics might influence the development of different social-emotional behaviors in preschool children.  C 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The social and emotional development of preschool children is a topic of great interest in the early childhood literature. A variety of research has indicated that children who exhibit developmentally appropriate social and emotional skills in preschool and This work was funded in part by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services of the United States Department of Education (Grant no. H325D030060). Correspondence to: Stacy L. Bender, Michigan State University, Counseling, Educational Psychology, & Special Education, 401 Erickson Hall, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. E-mail: benders4@msu.edu JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 39, No. 8, 908–921 (2011) Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jcop). & 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.20477