Threats Assignment

Which type(s) of threats is (are) the most dangerous? How dangerous does de Becker
view bomb threats and threats to public officials? Why is knowing the context the key to
predicting which threats are dangerous?
According to Becker, there are really no dangerous threats. This is because it is rare for
threats to be made and then to be carried out (Becker, 1997). Regarding bomb threats and
threats to public officials, Becker suggests that they are also not dangerous because when a
bomber him/herself calls to confirm the bomb threat, it defeats their purpose because then the
targeted person or group is going to be made aware of the threat and take precautionary
measures (Becker, 1997). Becker also holds that knowing the context of threats is key to
determining whether they should be taken seriously or not. Knowing the context of threat
allows law enforcement officials and the targeted person to understand why the threat has been
made and, therefore, how seriously to take the threat. In some cases, a threat may be a mere
expression of anger and displeasure at something.
What are the purposes of making threats?
The purpose of making threats is to create an atmosphere of fear in the targeted person
or group so that they can easily give in to the demands of the person making the threats
(Becker, 1997). Another person of threats is to express outrage or indignation at something
that the person making the threat does not like.
What does de Becker suggest that you do if you are threatened?
When one is threatened, they should not panic. When they panic, they easily give to
the demands of the person making the threats (Becker, 1997). Instead, when one is threatened,

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they need to react calmly and carefully assess the possible reasons for the threats before taking
appropriate actions.
What is a conditional threat? Provide an example.
Conditional threat is one that is accompanied by a condition. In this type of threat, the
person making it claims that they will carry out the threat is their conditions are not met
(Becker, 1997). For instance, a person may threaten to expose compromising pictures of
another one if they are not sent a certain amount of money within a given period of time. For
these kinds of threats, the person making them is usually not interested in carrying out the
threat. Rather, their primary goal is to have their conditions met.

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References

Becker, G. (1997). The gift of fear: Survival signals that protect us from violence. Boston: Little,
Brown.