What is battery?

• A. Invasion of privacy
• B. Bladder
• C. Unlawful and unwanted touching or striking of another person
• D. Heart

Answer: (C)

Battery means intentional, unlawful touching of another person without their consent, or striking them. In healthcare, this is the act of making physical contact that hurts or is offensive when there is no permission or legitimate medical reason. This concept is distinct from assault, which involves a threat or attempt to cause harmful contact—battery is the actual contact that occurs.

The other options don’t fit because they describe different ideas: invasion of privacy refers to exposing private information or intruding into someone’s personal life, not physical contact; bladder and heart are body parts, not actions or legal terms related to touching. In practice, obtaining proper consent before any physical examination or procedure is essential to avoid battery.