Is a Verbal Threat an Assault?
When you are considering the law as it applies to behavior, you have to understand that every situation has its own nuances. For example, an assault is not necessarily harassment, even though the two terms sometimes get used interchangeably. Every assault situation is different and, in most cases, context becomes extremely important. This is important when discussing whether or not a verbal threat is an assault.
Harassment Versus Assault
There is a huge legal gray area between harassment and assault that should only be navigated by a legal professional. It can be said that persistent negative behavior without physical contact is harassment and escalates to assault when there is some sort of physical contact. But in some courts, assault does not need to be accompanied by physical contact.
A Verbal Threat By Itself
If a person issues a verbal threat and then walks away, in most cases that is not considered assault. Once again, context is extremely important. If that verbal threat is one of many threats that were delivered that night and the threats escalated in severity, then that can be considered harassment. It is important to try and document and record the threats if you intend upon trying to make a formal claim of harassment.
Sexual Assault
A verbal threat of a sexual nature is usually considered sexual harassment. In a court of law or when making a claim against a person or organization, a verbal threat is normally categorized as sexual harassment.
When you are the victim of a sexually-related crime, you are usually not interested in the intricacies of applying various types of laws to your situation. Our firm understands that, and our team of compassionate sexual harassment attorneys will be more than happy to explain your options to you if you do receive a verbal threat. We are more than happy to be the legal team that protects you when you are the victim of any type of sexual assault or harassment situation.