NCHSE End-of-Pathway Assessment (EOPA) Practice Exam

Battery is the term for intentional physical contact that is harmful or offensive and occurs without the other person’s consent. The key elements are that the touch is deliberate, it is unwanted or offensive to the person touched, and there is no valid permission to touch. This distinguishes it from assault, which centers on threatening or attempting harmful contact or causing fear of imminent harm, even if no actual contact occurs. Abusive behavior is a broader idea that can include various forms of harm, not specifically the unconsented physical touching defined here, and therapeutic services are unrelated to harming or touching in a harmful way. For example, punching someone or grabbing them without permission fits battery because it involves intentional, unwanted contact.