It highlights the impact witnessing their father's violence has on the son and daughter and describes ways the syblings seem to mimic their parent's former gender roles. It describes many symptoms the children evidence in response to abuse including nightmares, reinactments of the violence, devaluing the "victim parent", and aggressiveness.
The story also describes situations such as: fears raised as the abusive ex-husband's release from prison becomes imminent; the cognitive self-change Violent Offenders Program the abusive husband takes in prison; economic hardships; and, the custody hearings, what roles counselors play and how visitation is slowly implemented.
Mother Jones magazine (named after pioneer labor organizer Mary Harris Jones) was created to offer a forum for ideas that "inspire action towards positive social change". Begun in 1976, it has six issues per year.
