Is It Illegal to Hit a Girl? Laws Around Self-Defense & Assault
We’ve all grown up with some version of the phrase “boys don’t hit girls.” This stems from the basic human value that physically harming those less able to defend themselves is morally wrong.
But does this social norm hold weight in a legal sense? Is it actually illegal to hit a girl in all cases?
The short answer is no. With nuances around self-defense, hitting someone is not automatically illegal based on gender alone. However, legal repercussions still apply for assault and battery most of the time.
It seems like you’re referring to “National Pardon,” which is typically associated with pardon services in Canada. These services help individuals obtain pardons for criminal records, allowing them to seal their records and improve their chances of employment, travel, and other opportunities.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover specific questions around hitting girls and the law including:
- When is it legally okay to use physical force against a girl?
- What are potential punishments for hitting or battering a girl?
- Can you claim self-defense if you hit a girl back after being hit first?
- Does hitting a girl carry worse legal consequences than hitting a man?
- What about parental corporal punishment like spanking a daughter?
Understanding the ins and outs around legal use of force and assault charges can help everyone better navigate tense situations. Let’s take a deeper look at what the law really says.
When Is It Legally Okay to Hit a Girl?
The use of physical force against another person is legal in a limited set of circumstances. These situations almost always require that force applied fits the level of threat posed against someone’s safety.
Additionally, gender does not affect the criminality of assault or battery. Laws prohibit illegal levels of physical harm toward any man, woman or child rather than targeting specific demographics.
With this context in mind, it legally permissible to use physical force against a girl in the following situations:
Self-Defense During Physical Attack
Protecting yourself or others from imminent bodily harm is perhaps the clearest legal justification for hitting someone – including hitting a girl.
However, claiming self-defense requires:
- The danger posed is physical, not just verbal. Insults or threats don’t warrant retaliation.
- Your response uses an appropriate level of force. Punching someone who shoved you would likely not stand up in court.
- You aimed only to stop the attack, not punish the person after the fact.
In essence, self-defense must meet the common sense “reasonable person” standard. If most people would agree you acted appropriately to protect yourself, a self-defense justification should hold up.
Defense of Others From Physical Harm
Similar to personal self-defense, using physical force when coming to the defense of another person facing assault can be legally justified.
Intervening to help someone in a fight, for example, regardless of gender.
The same standards apply here regarding appropriate level of response and aiming only to stop harm from continuing rather than retaliate further.
Consensual Sports or Activities
Any sport or activity with expected physical contact implies consent from participants to legally hit or touch each other within agreed upon rules.
Boxing, martial arts, wrestling, ice hockey and other sports all involve physical force and contact as part of normal play. Doing so does not constitute criminal assault or battery charges.
This also extends to rare cases where people consent to physical harm outside of regulated sport, such as receiving body piercings, tattoos, religious rituals or S&M sexual activity.
What About Corporal Punishment of Children?
Laws around physically disciplining children vary greatly by state. Some permit spanking or other corporal punishment, though standards typically limit this to reasonable physical force without lasting harm.
Opinions diverge around whether parents should apply less severe discipline toward daughters than sons. Some see girls as more vulnerable to lasting harm from physical punishment.
Ultimately a parents’ right to discipline their child can face legal limits, regardless of gender. What’s permitted in one state may be banned in another.
While these four categories represent times when physical force against another person may be legally justified, significant caveats exist in all cases.
Using more force than required to stop a threat or harming someone without their consent outside of clear self-defense rarely holds up legally.
What Are the Legal Consequences of Hitting a Girl?
Except for clear-cut situations like sports and self-defense as described above, hitting or using unlawful physical force against anyone constitutes criminal assault, battery or domestic violence.
Potential legal and social consequences of hitting a girl or woman include:
Assault and Battery Charges
- Misdemeanors or felonies on your criminal record
- Fines up to $10,000 in some states
- Jail time ranging from 6 months to 10 years depending on injury level and criminal history
- Probation, community service
- Restraining orders limiting contact with victim
- Loss of rights like voting, working certain jobs
Additionally, civil lawsuits from victims seeking monetary damages commonly follow criminal charges as well.
Domestic Violence Fallout
If the victim is a family member, spouse or intimate partner, domestic violence charges impose further penalties like:
- Loss of child custody
- Mandated counseling
- Cancellation of shared insurance, phone plans, etc.
- Termination of housing leases
- Harmed reputation, relationships
Simply put, the legal system and society at large take assault charges very seriously, particularly acts of violence against traditionally vulnerable groups like women and children.
Allowing emotions like anger or jealousy to escalate into inappropriate force against someone is never acceptable, no matter the gender.
Real People, Real Consequences
“In the heat of the moment, after my girlfriend slapped me, I shoved her away and she fell. I still got arrested even though she hit me first. My charges were eventually dropped but it was expensive and traumatic.” – John, 25
“Playing in a heated basketball game, emotions ran high and this girl from the other team elbowed me in the face. I hit her back instinctively. Of course I got kicked out of the game, but learning I also faced criminal charges was scary.” – Rebecca, 17
“As a father I never imagined spanking my daughter could be illegal. But when a teacher noticed bruises, I had child protective services investigating whether I used ‘reasonable discipline’. Turns out certain methods past generations used cross the line now.” – Frank, 42
Can You Claim Self-Defense for Hitting a Girl Back?
If a girl or woman strikes you first unlawfully, are you legally allowed to hit her back in self-defense without facing charges?
The answer lies in what constitutes a valid self-defense justification, as we covered previously:
- Imminent physical danger to yourself or others
- Using force equal to threat
- Aiming only to halt harm
If a girl slaps you across the face, for example, punching her would likely exceed an appropriate self-defense response. Blocking the hit or restraining her arms may stand up better legally if needed to prevent escalation.
In domestic violence cases, simply leaving the confrontation also demonstrates you didn’t intend to harm your partner when other options existed.
In short – claiming self-defense requires showing clear need and restraint aimed only at safety.
Without meeting these criteria, significant legal consequences still apply to hitting someone back regardless of who threw the first punch.
What Should You Do if a Girl Hits You?
Firstly, remain calm during confrontations. Emotional escalation rarely improves outcomes and often leads to poor decision making.
If at all possible, seek to diffuse tension and disengage. Tell the attacker you don’t wish to fight and give them space if needed.
Alternatively, calling for help from others or law enforcement may calm the situation or prevent harm from continuing.
As a last resort, use only the minimum level of force required to halt attackers and get away safely. Blocking hits, gently restrain their arms or fleeing can be better options than hitting back.
Finally, document injuries or property damage to support legal charges or defense if either occur. Pictures, medical reports and police affidavits create useful records about assault incidents.
The heat of the moment makes choices difficult, but resisting retaliation avoids further issues while keeping self-defense rights intact if harm seemed inevitable.
Is Hitting a Girl Legally Worse Than Hitting a Man?
Social stigmas around harming women undoubtedly persist, in part due to outdated notions of females as weaker and needing protection.
But do these attitudes translate into worse legal outcomes for hitting women vs men?
In most jurisdictions, no. Recent decades brought needed reform to remove gender bias from assault statutes.
Laws classifying crimes focus primarily on factors like:
- Force used
- Resulting harm level
- Relationship between attacker and victim
- Intent and motive
- Self-defense viability
Rather than targeting specific demographics, laws aim for consistency in protecting all citizens against unlawful violence regardless of individual traits like gender.
That said, some legal gray areas still allow gender to potentially influence outcomes:
Differing Levels of Self-Defense
Some still argue women hitting men permits only enough self-defense to escape without retaliation due to size/strength differences on average. This lack of “equal rights” during confrontations remains controversial and hard to enforce.
Child Welfare Considerations
Custody decisions after domestic abuse charges may shift stronger against males due to social tendencies to see them as greater threats to children.
Public Opinion Influences
Judges and juries don’t operate in isolation. Deeply embedded social beliefs can find their way into rulings, particular in borderline cases without definitive answers.
While rarely an overt factor, gender likely plays at least a small role in perceptions and attitudes around physical confrontations. But from a strictly legal standpoint, acting reasonably under the specific circumstances matters far more than demographic traits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is slapping a girl considered assault?
Yes, slapping or physically striking anyone constitutes assault and battery charges unless occurring as consented activity between adults. Using threats or physical harm outside of clear self-defense remains illegal regardless of gender.
Can a woman hit a man without facing charges?
No. Laws prohibit illegal violent acts universally rather than targeting specific genders. A woman striking men face identical assault, battery or domestic violence charges as men would for hitting someone. Self-defense would need to justify the act.
What if a girl only shoves you during an argument?
Shoving or unwanted physical contact still potentially qualifies as assault or battery. Proving self-defense would rely on showing the shove posed real imminent physical harm, not just verbal argument. Peacefully walking away remains the wisest choice legally.
Does hitting someone in self-defense still lead to charges?
Possibly yes, though the person claiming justified self-defense should have charges dropped in court. Law enforcement may arrest all involved in a physical altercation and leave it to the justice system to determine blame regarding any assault or battery.
Can parents spank daughters without legal concerns?
Laws on corporal punishment of children vary significantly in permissiveness depending on state. Some restrict spanking methods or aim to protect children from lasting harm regardless of gender, while others grant wide latitude to parents on discipline tactics. Understanding specific state statutes is important regarding disciplining children physically.
Key Takeaways – Is It Illegal to Hit a Girl?
- Using physical force against anyone constitutes assault and battery unless clear justification exists like sports activities or urgent self-defense needs. Gender alone does not determine lawfulness.
- Punishments like fines, jail time, probation, etc. apply equally regardless of whether victims are female or male. Domsetic violence charges possible if victim personally known to attacker.
- Self-defense justification requires:
- Imminent physical (not just verbal) threat
- Response with equal level force as required to halt harm
- Aiming only to stop injury, not retaliate afterward
- Alternatives like escaping confrontation, blocking hits, or third party intervention should be considered before using self-defense force if real option.
- Gender biases likely still play some implicit role within legal system and public attitudes about physical confrontations, though laws explicitly aim for gender neutrality today.
Understanding these nuances helps explain legal standards around using physical force against others. Laws prohibit harm broadly rather than targeting narrowly by gender or other attributes.
But the social norm remains: violence should always be an action of last resort, not first. Using good judgment to walk away from confrontations and defuse rather than escalate goes a long way in preventing legal issues and harm.
