ABSTRACT
Fear is arguably central to the study of criminology and victimology, although in many ways it is the least studied. Fear of death, destruction of identity, and destruction of values drives the search for safety and security both at an individual level and in the consolidation of individuals in communities and cultures. It appears that the human species is the only living organism that can conceive of things in the future and can understand that its own death, while unpredictable in its timing, is inevitable. This knowledge is at the root of existential terror in human beings as they confront their ultimate helplessness and possible meaninglessness. Societies are constructed through the development of mutually acknowledged, reciprocal obligations among individuals, with protection from threats from an organizing force. Social, religious and legal structures evolve, among other reasons, to both protect individuals in their day-to-day lives as well as to help acutely distressed individuals.
