Is It Normal For My Girlfriend To Hit Me?

Is It Normal For My Girlfriend To Hit Me - What To Do If My Girlfriend Hits Me - What Happens If My Girlfriend Hits Me

Is it normal for my girlfriend to hit me?

In this article, we’re covering:

  • is it normal for my girlfriend to hit me?
  • what are the criminal charges for hitting a girl?
  • can you go to jail for hitting your girlfriend when she hits you first?
  • what to do if your girlfriend hits you?

… And much more.

So, let’s dig in.

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Is It Normal For My Girlfriend To Hit Me?

No, it is not normal for your girlfriend to hit you.

Healthy relationships do not involve forms of physical violence.

Your girlfriend hitting you is physically abusive behavior and not normal.

What To Do If My Girlfriend Hits Me?

If your girlfriend hits you, this is domestic violence.

Your options if your girlfriend hits you are:

  • reach out to the national domestic violence hotline
  • call your local police officers
  • leave the situation
  • heavily consider leaving your girlfriend if she hits you
  • break up with your girlfriend

Domestic violence deteriorates your mental health.

You should leave the relationship before it turns into domestic abuse.

Take a hard look at your relationship.

It’s tough for a victim of abuse to leave an abusive relationship.

Ask a family member for an honest assessment or seek professional help.

See if your family members have noticed:

  • any red flags
  • any partner violence (that you’re ignoring)
  • any emotional abuse and physical abuse
  • anger issues
  • abusive behaviors
  • mental illness issues

The most important thing is to be receptive to the feedback.

Your family members and friends love you and want you safe and happy.

If they are giving you negative feedback, set your ego aside and digest it.

What Happens If My Girlfriend Hits Me

When your girlfriend hits you, she is breaking the law.

She needs to seek professional help to work through anger management.

But, even when your girlfriend hits you for the first time, you should be wary.

Her “healthy way” to deal with her anger issues is to hit men.

Most likely, you will let the first time slide.

But, if your girlfriend hits you more than once, you should either:

  • leave the abusive relationship
  • call the police

She will get charged with simple battery.

Why Does My Girlfriend Hit Me?

There are two reasons that your girlfriend hits you:

  • with the intent to cause harm
  • without the intent to cause harm

It can be tough to distinguish between the two.

Especially if you’re a victim of physical abuse and emotional abuse.

Your girlfriend hitting you is not normal if it’s intended to harm you.

Your girlfriend hitting you is intended to harm you if she hits you during arguments.

Outside of arguments, her using you as a punching bag is also domestic violence.

It doesn’t matter that “you’re a man and you can handle it.”

It’s still an abusive relationship that you need to get out of.

“Without intent to harm” is when you are both happy, flirting, and joking around.

Can You Hit A Girl If She Hits You First?

Yes, you can hit a girl in if she hits you first.

For you to hit a girl and it NOT be legal, you have to:

  • be the aggressor (person hitting first)
  • using more than a reasonable amount of force (excessive force) to protect yourself
  • being hitting a girl in self-defense (if she hits you first)

Hitting a girl in self-defense only applies when harm is imminent.

This means that the girl is using physical violence and attacking you.

You can legally be in “imminent danger” if a girl is hitting you.

Whatever you do, be a reasonable person in this scenario.

Do not resort to violent crimes when hitting a girl in self-defense.

This includes:

  • escalating the use of force
  • using deadly force
  • using a deadly weapon

Can A Man Hit A Woman If She Hits Him First?

Yes, a man can hit a woman if she hits him first.

“Use of force” (hitting someone) gets excused if it’s in self-defense.

Some states have “stand your ground” laws.

They allow you to use a necessary level of force to “remove the threat.”

If A Girl Hits You Can You Hit Her Back?

Yes, if a girl hits you, you can hit her back.

But, you have to use a proportional amount of force.

Let’s say a 120-lb girl slaps you.

You can’t use martial arts to 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.

Note that when a guy hits a girl back, it’s still assault.

But “fighting back” can get considered as self-defense.

Meaning your assault charges can get dropped.

What About Slapping A Girl In The Face?

Slapping a girl in the face is considered assault and battery.

If a girl 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 make a self-defense claim.

And they have the opportunity to have their criminal charges dropped.

Self-Defense Laws For Hitting Your Girlfriend

Self-defense laws for a man hitting a girl 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 seek legal advice from a criminal defense lawyer.

What Are Self-Defense Laws?

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:

  • domestic abuse from loved ones or an intimate partner
  • child abuse
  • family violence
  • domestic violence charges

Is It Illegal To Hit Your Girlfriend In Self-Defense?

No, it is not illegal to hit a girl in self-defense.

Let’s note how self-defense works.

Let’s say your girlfriend 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 your girlfriend in self-defense, the courts will drop your criminal charges.

And only your girlfriend will have assault and battery criminal charges.

Can You Hit Your Girlfriend In Self-Defense?

Yes, you can hit a girl in self-defense.

But, it’s only considered self-defense if danger was imminent.

“Danger” is not the woman verbally provoking you.

“Danger” is when a woman attacks you.

You can hit your girlfriend in self-defense if you use a reasonable amount of force.

“Reasonable” means an equal level of force that you were hit with in the first place.

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:

  • acted in self-defense
  • used an equal amount of force to protect yourself
  • not escalated the use of force
  • cannot use deadly force
  • cannot use a deadly weapon

Is Your Girlfriend Hitting You Assault Or Battery?

In law, your girlfriend hitting you is a simple battery.

Simple battery is “offensive” physical contact, such as your girlfriend:

  • shoving you
  • hitting you

Some examples are your girlfriend hitting you or shoving you 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:

  • “substantial physical harm”
  • “visible bodily harm”

Criminal Charges For Assault vs Battery

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:

  • a misdemeanor charge
  • up to one year in jail
  • a fine up to $1,000
  • up to one year IN a probation or diversion center
  • probation up to one year
  • restitution (compensation to a victim)

The criminal charges for battery are:

  • a misdemeanor charge
  • up to one year in jail
  • a fine up to $1,000
  • probation up to one year

Is My Girlfriend Hitting Me Against The Law?

Yes, your girlfriend hitting you is against the law.

If your girlfriend hits you, she will get a battery criminal charge.

  • if you hit her first, you cannot get your charges dropped
  • if you hit her in self-defense, you could get your charges dropped

Can Your Girlfriend Go To Jail For Hitting You?

Yes, your girlfriend can go to jail for hitting a girl.

If you’re convicted of hitting a girl, you can face the following:

  • up to one year in jail
  • a fine of up to $1,000
  • up to one year IN a probation or diversion center
  • probation up to one year
  • restitution (compensation to a victim)

FAQs: 'Is It Normal For My Girlfriend To Hit Me?’

These are the most common, related questions we get about this topic.

Is Hitting My Girlfriend In The Face A Felony?

No, punching a woman in the face is not a felony.

Punching a woman in the face is a simple battery charge.

You will get a misdemeanor for punching a woman in the face.

If Your Girlfriend Hits You, Can You Hit Her Back?

Yes, if your girlfriend hits you, you can hit her back.

But it is not recommended because you will still get charged with simple battery.

If you are hitting your girlfriend back in self-defense, you will still get charged.

But, if you can prove it was self-defense, the charges will be dropped.

If My Girlfriend Yells At Me, Can I Hit Her?

No, when your girlfriend yells at you, you cannot hit her.

You are the aggressor if you hit your girlfriend for yelling at you.

And you will face criminal charges that cannot get dropped with “self-defense.”

Verbal assault (yelling) 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.

Is It Normal For My Girlfriend To Hit Me?

You should only hit your girlfriend if she hits you first as a last resort in self-defense.

You should reach out to a criminal defense attorney if you have hit your girlfriend.

Even if it was in self-defense, you will still get criminal charges and a criminal record.

A good criminal defense law firm can get your charges dropped if it’s self-defense.

Talk soon. 

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