Since the onset of the nuclear age in 1945, the world has lived with the constant threat of nuclear war and its devastating consequences for all of humanity. While such a threat has led some to "psychic numbing" it has led others to action. Research on how children were being affected by the threat of nuclear war began in the early 1960s. This study explored the impact of parental anti-nuclear activism on children and adolescents with respect to psychic numbing using a post-test only equivalent control group design. The samples included 23 anti-nuclear activist families with 20 fathers, 23 mothers, 17 children (8-12 years), and 15 adolescents (13-19). There were 26 non-activist families with 11 fathers, 20 mothers, 15 children, and 15 adolescents. Separate structured survey questionnaires were prepared for the parents, children and adolescents with somewhat overlapping content, dealing with awareness of the nuclear threat, activism, and the future. The results affirmed the greater awareness of the nuclear threat among activist families which was not totally absent among non-activists. Parents' activism and awareness was reflected well in the children (8-12 years). However, adolescence seemed to be a time when psychic numbing began to appear irrespective of parental activism. Activism as an adaptive coping mechanism and the need for creative intervention to prevent psychic numbing among adolescents are discussed. (Author/ABL)