I know people like this too. They are all cowards - every one of them. I think people like this started out normal, and at some point in their lives were faced with a situation where they should have stood up for themselves, but didn't. In order to justify/rationalize their cowardice in their own minds, they convinced themselves that it was morally superior to be a victim than to fight, and then built a way of life around it.
I have 'friends' that are like this. I put 'friends' in quotes because these people are not true friends, they're just people that I've known for a long time, and that I end up crossing paths with frequently. They're also not friends because I know that they secretly hate and are jealous of people that can take care of themselves.
I don't just mean self defense either. These people are jealous of someone that can change a tire, fix things that break, prepare for bad times, have the ability to catch/kill/grow their own food, know how to build or put out a fire, and can do their own electrical/plumbing/carpentry. These people have a name for those of us that are self-sufficient: They call us "extremists", and they hate us.