Of 1,452 young adults surveyed, 203 (14 percent) reported witnessing as children at least one incident of physical aggression between their parents. Both men and women who witnessed interparental physical conflict reported higher levels of current psychological distress than a comparison group who had never observed physical aggression between their parents. This group difference remained even after controlling for parental divorce, parental socioeconomic status, physical abuse of the child, parental alcoholism, and nonphysical discord witnessed between parents. The negative effect of witnessing interparental aggression was intensified when the aggression was serious enough to warrant some type of outside assistance for the victim and when the parent of the same sex was seen being victimized. A substantial proportion of the variance accounted for in adult adjustment by interparental physical conflict was mediated through decreased parental caring and warmth during childhood. Tables, figure, references