The current study examined the direct effects of father involvement in early childhood on father-child relationships in the 5th grade as well as indirect effects (via mediation through preschoolers' sense of security) on father-child relationships in the 5th grade. Likewise, the direct effects of preschoolers' sense of security on 5th grade children's internalizing, externalizing behaviors and bullying experiences as well as indirect effects (via mediation through 5th grade father-child relationships) on child outcomes were examined. This study used secondary data analysis with data from the national Early Head Start Research and Evaluation (EHSRE) Project. Multiple regressions were used to test the three research questions. Early father involvement predicted preschoolers' sense of security and 5th grader-father relationships were related to children's bullying experiences and to externalizing problems. No evidence of mediation was found, and there were no significant relationships between father involvement and 5th grader-father relationships or between preschoolers' sense of security and father-relationships and child outcomes in the 5th grade. Fathers are influential in their children's social development, not only in early childhood, but also in adolescence.
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