Eighty-six community sample famillies were selected and classified on the basis of father's alcoholism status. Interview and questionnaire data from parents and their eldest 12- to 17-year-old sons were analyzed to test for differences between the alcoholic and nonalcoholic groups in family conflict, marital satisfaction, and offspring mental health. Based on the Family Environment Scale famile conflict scores, the alcoholic families reported significantly more family conflict scores, the alcoholic families reported significantly more family conflict scores, the alcoholic families reported significantly more family conflict than the nonalcoholic families. Based on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale total scores, alcoholic families reported less marital satisfaction than nonalcoholic families. There were also more DSM-III-R disorders diagnosed among the children, as determined by the administration of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. Further analyses revealed that perceived family conflict did not differentiate alcoholic families with or without a diagnosed son. However, marital satisfaction was lower in alcoholic families with a diagnosed son than in those alcoholic families without a diagnosed son. Family conflict, marital satisfaction, and alcoholism severity in the fathers did not correlate with externalizing symptomatology in the sons and are not collectively predictive of offspring externalizing symptomatology. The findings of this study have implications for research, treatment, and prevention of alcoholism.