Battery (crime) facts for kids

A balancing scale, often linked to law and fairness.

Battery is a legal term that means purposefully touching someone in a way that is hurtful or unwanted. It's when someone makes physical contact with another person without their permission, and that contact causes harm or is offensive.

People sometimes mix up battery with assault. Assault is when someone threatens to hurt another person. Battery is when that threat actually happens, and the person is touched or harmed.

Different Kinds of Battery

There are two main types of battery: simple battery and aggravated battery. They differ in how serious they are and what happens as a result.

Simple Battery

Simple battery is usually considered a less serious offense. It involves:

• Using force that is not allowed by law.
• Touching another person's body.
• Causing a physical injury or touching them in an offensive way.

For example, if someone shoves you without permission, that could be simple battery.

Aggravated Battery

Aggravated battery is much more serious than simple battery. It usually involves extra factors that make the act worse. These can include:

• Using a dangerous object or weapon.
• Causing a very serious injury to someone.
• When the battery is part of a hate crime, meaning it's done because of someone's background or beliefs.
• When the person who is harmed is considered vulnerable, like a child, an elderly person, or a pregnant woman.
• When the battery is committed against a police officer or other public official while they are doing their job.

Aggravated battery is treated more seriously by the law because of the greater harm or danger involved.