Menu
Is it illegal to hit a girl?
In this article, we’re covering:
… And much more.
So, let’s dig in.
Yes, it is illegal to hit a girl.
To hit a girl and it NOT be illegal, you have to:
Self-defense only applies when harm is imminent.
This means that the girl is using physical violence and attacking you.
Yes, you can hit a girl if she hits you first.
“Use of force” (hitting someone) gets excused if it’s in self-defense.
Yes, if a girl hits you, you can hit her back.
But, you have to use a proportional amount of force.
Let’s say your 120-lb girlfriend slaps you.
You can’t knock her out when you hit her back.
If a girl hits you, you can only use an equal amount of force to hit her back.
Slapping someone in the face is considered assault and battery.
If someone slaps you in the face, and you slap them back, it’s still battery.
Both persons will receive assault and battery charges from police officers.
But, the person who slaps someone in the face first is the aggressor.
And they cannot claim self-defense.
But the person who slapped back can claim self-defense.
And they have the opportunity to have their criminal charges dropped.
Disclaimer: self-defense laws are complicated.
You have to be able to prove that you used reasonable force to stop the threat.
And, if you cause serious injury, you may get charged with aggravated assault.
When you escalate the force, you become the aggressor.
Let’s say that a girl slaps you.
And that you retaliate, punch her, and break her nose.
The girl hitting you was a simple battery.
But you escalated the amount of force used.
So, with the force that you used, that could get categorized as either:
You’ll need to reach out to a criminal lawyer to get legal advice.
Self-defense is the right to prevent suffering force or violence.
It gives you the right to “remove an imminent threat.”
The self-defense laws allow you to counteract with equal force or violence.
But self-defense laws and cases are very complicated.
Each jurisdiction (state) has its own set of criminal laws on how to handle self-defense.
You should seek criminal law legal advice from a lawyer on how to handle:
Related: Divorce Statistics
No, it is not illegal to hit a girl in self-defense.
Let’s note how self-defense works.
Let’s say a girl hits you and you hit her back.
You both will get assault and battery charges from law enforcement.
And you will both have to show up to court.
But, if you hit a girl in self-defense, the courts will drop your criminal charges.
And only the girl will have assault and battery criminal charges.
Yes, you can hit a girl in self-defense.
But, it’s only considered self-defense if danger was imminent.
“Danger” is not the girl verbally provoking you.
“Danger” is when a girl hits you.
You can hit a girl in self-defense if you use a reasonable amount of force.
“Reasonable” means an equal amount of physical force that you were hit with.
Defending yourself allows you to potentially avoid criminal liability from your use of force.
“Potentially” because it depends on the scenario.
You HAVE to have:
If a woman hits a man 3 times, the law says that he can hit her back.
If a woman hits a man 3 times and he hits her back, it’s usually considered self-defense.
We say “usually considered” because there are things to consider.
The amount of force a man hits a woman with has to be proportional to the threat presented.
To play it safe as a man hitting a woman back, this means that you:
In law, punching someone is a simple battery.
Simple battery is “offensive” physical contact, such as:
Some examples are hitting a girl or shoving her during an argument.
For punching someone to be battery, it has to be intentional.
(i.e., if you and your buddies are sparring, this is not criminal.)
Your actions become battery (not simple) when you’re intentionally causing:
Assault and battery are two separate criminal charges.
Assault does not have to include physical contact.
Assault is when an act MAY inflict physical harm to someone else.
Battery has to involve physical contact.
Battery is when an act DOES inflict physical harm to someone else.
The criminal charges for assault are:
The criminal charges for battery are:
Yes, hitting a girl is against the law.
If you hit a girl, you will get a battery criminal charge.
Hitting a girl is illegal because it’s a battery criminal charge.
Hitting anyone, girl or boy, lands you with battery charges.
Women and men have equal rights.
And hitting a girl is illegal just like hitting a boy is illegal.
Yes, if a girl hits you, you can hit back.
But note that you both will receive simple battery charges.
The main differences here are that since:
You should seek legal advice from an attorney in your jurisdiction.
If your girlfriend hits you, this is domestic violence.
Your options if your girlfriend hits you are:
Domestic violence deteriorates your mental health.
You should leave the relationship before it turns into domestic abuse.
Yes, you can go to jail for hitting a girl.
If you’re convicted of hitting a girl, you can face the following:
These are the most common questions we get about whether is it legal to hit a girl.
No, punching someone in the face is not a felony.
Punching someone in the face is a simple battery charge.
You will get a misdemeanor for punching someone in the face.
No, it is not a felony to hit someone with glasses.
Hitting someone is a simple battery even if they have glasses on.
Hitting someone with glasses is a misdemeanor.
Yes, if someone punches you, you can punch them back.
But it is not recommended because you will still get charged with simple battery.
If you are punching someone back in self-defense, you will still get charged.
But, if you can prove it was in self-defense then the charges will get dropped.
No, you cannot hit someone for verbal assault.
If you hit someone for verbal assault, then you are the aggressor.
And you will face criminal charges that cannot get dropped with “self-defense.”
Verbal assault is not a physical threat to your safety.
Self-defense is only allowed if you are “removing an imminent threat.”
“Imminent threat” means that you are in danger of getting harmed.
Verbal assault does not put you in danger.
Yes, you can go to jail for punching someone in the face.
Punching someone in the face is a misdemeanor.
And you can spend up to 1 year in jail for punching someone in the face.
Yes, a slap is an assault and battery.
Slapping someone is the equivalent of hitting someone.
Since a slap is an assault, you will get charged with a misdemeanor.
Yes, you can press charges if someone pushes you.
Pushing someone is “offensive” physical contact.
And pushing someone is simple battery.
No, you cannot shoot someone if they punch you.
Getting punched is simple battery.
In self-defense laws, you can only use an equal amount of force to protect yourself.
Shooting someone for punching you is not an equal amount of force.
This would be escalating the physical violence that’s getting used.
Yes, a man can hit a woman in self-defense if she hits him.
But a man can only use an equal amount of force when he hits a woman in self-defense.
No, hitting a girl after three hits is still simple battery.
But, if you can prove self-defense, then the courts will drop your charges.
Proving self-defense is complicated.
While it’s illegal to hit a girl after 3 hits, you could have your charges dropped.
Yes, you can sue someone for hitting you.
But you need to be able to prove damages to sue someone for hitting you.
Make sure you reach out to a criminal defense lawyer for legal advice.
You want to invest into your future. Whether that’s protecting yourself with a prenup, getting a fresh start with divorce, or setting up your estate. You deserve reliable attorneys who get results. Fill out the form above for your FREE consultation.
This website is for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Consult an attorney if you are seeking legal advice.
