1856 lithograph of the caning of Charles Sumner An<unk>  is the act of inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in criminal prosecution, civil liability, or both. Generally, the common law definition is the same in criminal and tort law. Traditionally, common law legal systems had separate definitions for<unk>  and battery. When this distinction is observed, battery refers to the actual bodily contact, whereas<unk>  refers to a credible threat or attempt to cause battery. Some jurisdictions combined the two offences into<unk>  and battery, which then became widely referred to as<unk> ". The result is that in many of these jurisdictions,<unk>  has taken on a definition that is more in line with the traditional definition of battery. The legal systems of civil law and Scots law have never distinguished<unk>  from battery. Legal systems generally acknowledge that<unk> s can vary greatly in severity. In the United States, an<unk>  can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. In England and Wales and Australia, it can be charged as either common<unk> ,<unk>  occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) or grievous bodily harm (GBH). Canada also has a three-tier system:<unk> ,<unk>  causing bodily harm and aggravated<unk> . Separate charges typically exist for sexual<unk> s, affray and<unk> ing a police officer.<unk>  may overlap with an attempted crime; for example an<unk>  may be charged as an attempted murder if it was done with intent to kill.
Assault
Accident
Biovail
Homicide
Divorce
Capital punishment
Fulminant
Decapitation