Contrary to the study's hypothesis, adolescent children of alcoholics scored higher on "ego identity-total" and on four of the seven ego-identity dimensions than the adolescents who did not have alcoholic parents. One possible explanation is that the sons of alcoholic fathers matured at an earlier age due to their development of various coping strategies that have facilitated the creation of a more "stable" ego identity compared to their peers. Another explanation is that children of alcoholics apply defense mechanisms that enhance the development of the ability to adapt to difficult social situations. All of the fathers of 44 boys were diagnosed as alcohol dependent according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorder and were being treated at a public center for addiction treatment in Israel. All 60 boys in the control group were living in the same neighborhood as the children of the alcoholic fathers. Ego identity was measured by Tzuriel's Adolescent Ego Identity Scale (AEIS). The AEIS questionnaire measures ego identity according to seven scales: Social Recognition, Physical Identity, Self-Control, Genuineness, Meaningfulness-Alienation, Solidity and Continuity, and Commitment and Purposefulness. The questionnaire produced a separate score for each of the seven scales as well as a combined score. 3 tables and 49 references