ABSTRACT
Children who are exposed to severe domestic violence come face to face with horror. The one who vowed to love their mother controls and abuses her with yelling, hitting, shoving, knives, and guns. When their mothers or caregivers become injured, they are torn between wanting to protect and wanting to be taken care of. Multiple conflicting emotions are triggered for the children as they face violence at home, when one parent injures another. In the midst of crisis, they are often brought to a local domestic violence agency. Most mothers, fathers, and children survive; yet far too many, tragically, do not.
