How is assault defined in legal terms?

The definition of assault in legal terms primarily revolves around the concept of causing apprehension of immediate violence, either intentionally or recklessly. This means that for an act to be considered assault, the perpetrator must either intend to make the victim fear imminent harm or act with a disregard for the risk of instilling such fear.

This legal understanding of assault does not require any physical contact or actual injury to occur; the key element is the victim's perception of danger or threat. The victim must have a reasonable belief that they are at risk of being harmed at that moment, which highlights the importance of the mental state of both the assaulter and the victim.

In contrast, other options either suggest elements that are not integral to the definition of assault or confuse it with other legal concepts. For instance, physical harm without consent pertains more to battery, which involves actual contact rather than merely the apprehension of harm. Threatening behavior without contact could describe a range of actions but does not capture the necessary intention or recklessness required for assault. Lastly, injury caused by negligent behavior aligns more closely with the tort of negligence rather than assault, as negligence does not involve the intention to cause fear or apprehension. Each of these distinctions clarifies why the selected definition