What constitutes battery in legal terms?

In legal terms, battery is defined as the unlawful touching of another person without their consent. This means that for an act to qualify as battery, there must be a physical contact that occurs, and this contact must be made without the consent of the person being touched. It can involve intentional actions or negligent acts that result in contact, so long as this contact is deemed unlawful. Consent plays a key role, as any touching that has been agreed upon or consented to does not fall under the definition of battery.

In the context of the other options, while a verbal threat of harm refers to the intention to cause fear or apprehension of injury, it does not involve actual physical contact, which is essential for battery. The failure to provide aid in an emergency typically pertains to a legal duty to act or not act but does not involve the physical touching that battery requires. Finally, causal negligence leading to injury relates to scenarios where harm occurs due to a failure to act responsibly, but again, it does not require an unlawful or non-consensual touching, which is the crux of battery. Thus, the precise definition hinges on the lack of consent to physical contact, making the choice centered on unlawful touching the correct selection.