A sample of 213 delinquent male adolescents (mean age = 16.1 years) were compared on interview-based measures concerning exposure to interadult family violence and physical abuse, attitudes toward aggression, self-reported competence, and coping strategies. The sample was divided into four groups: Violent Offenders, Undetected Violent Offenders, Violent Deniers, and Controls. Violent offenders and undetected violent offenders had higher rates of exposure to serious physical abuse and weapons violence between adults than controls and deniers. Exposure to serious violence was associated with lower self-reported competence, attitudes more supportive of aggression, and more use of aggressive control as a form of coping. Logistic regression analyses were also consistent with the hypothesis that the effects of exposure to family violence on serious violent offending are mediated by beliefs supporting aggression and by the tendency to cope through aggressive control-seeking. Figure, tables, notes, references