The CHALLENGE program was designed to increase elementary school children's likelihood of reaching their potential in an at-risk environment and, ultimately, to decrease the rate of their victimization or social and personal disfunction. The CHALLENGE curriculum focuses on increasing children's ability to think, solve problems, make effective decisions and choices, communicate, assert themselves, manage personal behavior and choices, develop support networks, develop self-esteem, take personal responsibility for actions and behavior, and set and work toward goals. Two of the four schools involved in the CHALLENGE pilot test received a child abuse prevention curriculum, the Safe Child Program (SCP), the previous year. Role playing was used to measure behavioral change, and tests of knowledge and attitudes, self-esteem, and locus of control were administered. The study sample included 53 boys and 54 girls in kindergarten and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades at two urban and two suburban elementary schools. Control groups consisted of 50 boys and 40 girls. Treatment groups receiving the CHALLENGE training contained children at significantly higher risk than the control groups. The treatment groups improved significantly more than the children not receiving training, regardless of prior exposure to the SCP. CHALLENGE had the greatest impact on the children at greatest risk. Teachers were eager to use the program with other children, and parents reported improved communication with their children. (AC)