Which is an example of contact that would not be considered a battery?

• A. Handshake with consent
• B. Punch
• C. A light touch during a medical exam with implied consent
• D. Grabbing someone's arm without consent

Answer: (A)

Battery involves intentional contact that is harmful or offensive and without valid consent. A handshake with consent is a normal, voluntary act—participants agree to the contact, and it’s not intended to harm or offend. Therefore, it does not meet the elements of battery.

The other examples involve lack of consent or harm: a punch is intentional harmful contact, and grabbing someone’s arm without consent is non-consensual contact, both fitting the idea of battery. A light touch during a medical exam with implied consent is allowed because the patient has implicitly consented to care in that context, so it’s not battery.