What is the theme in fear by Gary Soto

Fear is a feeling of anxiety and agitation caused by the presence or nearness of danger, pain, and evil. In the short story, "Fear," by Gary Soto, the narrator describes his childhood experience when he was bullied by his fifth grade classmate Frankie T, and then witnesses a teacher physically assaulting Frankie T. As my group collaborated on the story by engaging in Think-a-Loud and meta cognitive conversations we realized that the theme of the story is that evil is triggered by the absence of love.