Phenomenological analyses of 50 victims' experiences are presented. The format of the results preserves what it was like to live through being victimized, including the temporal flow and the vicissitudes of the experience. This presentation tries to put readers in touch with existential meanings of being criminally victimized, especially the radical threat to the victims' sense of social order and of community. It also draws out implications for strengthening citizens' sense of mutuality. Concrete suggestions include advice to police officers and to designers of victim brochures. Theoretical integration of representative research studies is offered. The article provides clarifications about qualitative methods, including their advantages and constraints.