In many common law jurisdictions, the crime of battery involves an injury or other contact upon the person of another in a manner likely to cause bodily harm.

Contact prohibited by laws against battery has lately been understood to include bodily secretions being directed at another person without their permission, and in such cases depending on the system is automatically considered aggravated battery.

As a first approximation to the distinction between battery and assault:

• the overt behavior of an assault might be A advancing upon B by chasing after him and swinging a fist at his head, while
• that of an act of battery might be A actually striking B.

See also

Battery (tort)