Which of the following refers to a physical attack?

Battery refers specifically to a physical attack or harmful contact with another person. It involves intentionally causing physical harm or offensive touching without consent. This concept is an essential part of legal definitions within personal injury law, emphasizing the importance of consent and the right to safety.

Understanding battery also involves recognizing that it can occur even if the intent is not to cause injury; any unpermitted contact can constitute battery. For example, if someone pushes another person during an argument, this act could be classified as battery.

In contrast, assault is typically defined as the act of threatening or creating an apprehension of imminent harmful contact, rather than the actual act of physical harm. Negligence involves failure to act with reasonable care, which does not involve direct physical harm, and slander is a form of defamation involving spoken false statements that damage a person’s reputation. Thus, the focus with battery is on the actual physical aggression, making it the correct term for a physical attack.