What is the difference between assault and battery?
- Assault and battery are related but different concepts. Assault is a legal term to describe apprehension (fear) of immediate and unlawful offensive or harmful physical contact.
- Battery is the intentional infliction of unlawful force on another person without that person’s consent.
- To make this even more confusing indecent and sexual assault are technically forms of battery in tort law.
- See our Assault, Sexual Assault and Homicide topic for more information on the criminal nature of these actions.
Read some more FAQS from our Negligence & Torts section