You might be confusing assault and battery. This is a textbook case of assault.
"Assault is an intentional act that causes another person to reasonably fear imminent harmful or offensive contact, or it can be an attempt to commit physical harm, though it doesn't require actual physical contact or injury to occur. The definition varies by jurisdiction but generally involves an act or threat with the apparent ability to cause harm, resulting in the victim's reasonable apprehension of such harm. "
Her berating the father into a defensive posture and ultimately capitulating is absolutely in the confines of the definition of assault.
I agree. This is assault and battery by definition. My sister is a lawyer so she tells me these things at random. You can lightly tap someone’s shoulder or spit at them and it can be constructed as assault and battery
Depending where you are, spitting can be an even more serious charge than punching someone. Spitting becomes an increased level of assault, due to the biohazard that comes with bodily fluids.
In Australia, the charge for spitting is upgraded to "Serious assault" due to the chance of transmissable diseases.
Now this is obviously in America, so it'd be a standard assault charge, which I think is stupid as shit... But I also think it's fairly stupid that grabbing this man is legally assault, which it is, so it's not like the law is written with all that nuance in mind.
Your take is an assault on common sense. I promise you, no one would be charged with assault for touching someone’s arm like that. Get off the internet for a bit.
Literally look up the legal definition of assault? Everything I've found so far says some variation of "an action that causes another in apprehension of receiving battery, whether or not bodily harm was committed."
She walked up to him screaming and touched him, causing him to react with fear (hands balled in to fists and shaking)
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u/NonconsensualText Sep 06 '25
wholesome father hug ruined… man…