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For almost three decades, the association between paternal sensitivity and infant-father attachment security has been studied. The first wave of studies on the correlates of infant-father attachment showed a weak association between paternal sensitivity and infant-father attachment security (r = .13, p < .001, k = 8, N = 546). In the current paper, a meta-analysis of the association between paternal sensitivity and infant-father attachment based on all studies currently available is presented, and the change over time of the association between paternal sensitivity and infant-father attachment is investigated. Studies using an observational measure of paternal interactive behavior with the infant, and the Strange Situation Procedure to observe the attachment relationship were included. Paternal sensitivity is differentiated from paternal sensitivity combined with stimulation in the interaction with the infant. Higher levels of paternal sensitivity were associated with more infant-father attachment security (r = .12, p < .001, k = 16, N = 1,355). Fathers' sensitive play combined with stimulation was not more strongly associated with attachment security than sensitive interactions without stimulation of play. Despite possible changes in paternal role patterns, we did not find stronger associations between paternal sensitivity and infant attachment in more recent years.

Parental involvement in children's education contributes to children's educational success. Most schools, therefore, aim to increase parental involvement and organise school-based activities that provide parents with interaction opportunities with teachers, school administrators, and other parents. Although the impact of parental involvement is studied frequently, little attention has gone into examining the interparental dynamics during school-based parental involvement activities. An ethnographic study conducted in five primary schools in The Netherlands shows how interactions among parents shape school-based parental involvement activities (in specific Parent Coffee Mornings). On the one hand, the interactions during Parent Coffee Mornings contributed to increased parental involvement, parents' network, and social capital of parents. On the other hand, these interactions created patterns of exclusion among parents in what were intended to be inclusionary activities. Knowledge about the dual nature of these activities is likely vital for researchers and school administrations alike.

Harsh parenting has been linked to children's bullying involvement in three distinct roles: perpetrators, targets (of bullying), and perpetrator‐targets. To understand how the same parenting behavior is associated with three different types of bulling involvement, we examined the moderating roles of children's inhibitory control and sex. In addition, we differentiated between mothers' and fathers' harsh parenting. We analyzed multi‐informant questionnaire data from 2131 families participating in the Dutch Generation R birth cohort study. When children were three years old, parents reported on their own harsh parenting practices. When children were four, mothers reported on their children's inhibitory control. At child age six, teachers reported on children's bullying involvement. Our results revealed that fathers', and not mothers', harsh parenting increased the odds of being a perpetrator. No moderation effects with children's inhibitory control and sex were found for the likelihood of being a perpetrator. Moderation effects were present for the likelihood of being a target and a perpetrator‐target, albeit only with mothers' harsh parenting. Specifically, for boys with lower‐level inhibitory control problems, mothers' harsh parenting increased the odds of being a target. In contrast, for boys with higher‐level inhibitory control problems, mothers' harsh parenting decreased the odds of being a target. Furthermore, for girls with higher‐level inhibitory control problems, mothers' harsh parenting increased the odds of being a perpetrator‐target. Overall, our results underscore the importance of differentiating by children's cognitive skills and by parent and child sex to fully understand how harsh parenting and bullying involvement are related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current meta-analysis examined and compared the relative associations of maternal and paternal parenting behavior with children's prosocial behavior from 29 studies. In total 502 effect sizes (N = 14,627) were subjected to Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling. Controlling for the other parent, both maternal and paternal parenting behavior showed small positive pooled associations with children's prosocial behavior (rfather =.10 and rmother =.12). The partial effect sizes for paternal and maternal parenting did not differ significantly from each other and were significant regardless of parenting dimension, study design (concurrent versus predictive) and average sample age (pre-adolescence versus adolescence). High levels of paternal and maternal warmth and positive control, and low levels of paternal and maternal harshness were associated with more prosocial behavior in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Paternal depression and anxiety are important risk factors for a problematic parent–child relationship and subsequent child development. We explored the association between paternal history of depression and anxiety disorder and infant–father attachment security, taking into account the possible mediating roles of sensitivity and perceived family stress. In a sample of 94 infant–father dyads, a structured diagnostic interview and a questionnaire on family stress were administered during pregnancy. Paternal sensitivity was observed using the Ainsworth coding scales, and infant–father attachment was observed in the strange situation procedure during a lab visit at 14 months. Linear regression models were used to examine the association of father's lifetime depression or anxiety with the continuous scales for infant–father attachment security and disorganization. Father's history of depression or anxiety disorder was not significantly related to infant–father attachment security in the total sample. Interestingly, daughters of fathers with a history of depression or anxiety had higher scores on attachment security than daughters of fathers without this diagnosis. Perceived family stress and paternal sensitivity were not significant mediators. We discuss these unexpected findings, suggesting alternative mechanisms for how paternal vulnerability to depression or anxiety may be associated with the infant–father attachment relationship. Highlights: We examine the association between paternal history of depression and anxiety disorder and infant‐father attachment security. In 94 infant‐father dyads, a structured diagnostic interview was administered and infant‐father attachment was observed in the Strange Situation Procedure. Daughters of fathers with a psychiatric history had higher scores on attachment security. Mechanisms of paternal vulnerability are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the Dutch cohort study Generation R (N = 1,523), we investigate to what extent the association between father involvement and toddler's behavioral and emotional problems varies by child's gender. This research addresses important limitations in prior work by (a) differentiating between different father involvement tasks, (b) incorporating a diverse set of behavioral and emotional problems, and (c) using a prospective design to answer our research question. Our findings reveal that the negative association between father involvement and toddler's behavioral and emotional problems only holds for boys, and mainly for behavioral problems. The results showed that it is fathers' relatively stronger involvement in tasks labeled as 'responsibility' which contributed to toddlers' lower levels of behavioral problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]