Battery is any act against another person that is willful and offensive or inappropriate. You do not need to actually cause injury to another person to be charged with battery. Battery can be both a criminal and a civil offense. Although you can be guilty of assault without battery, in some states if you are found guilty of battery, you must also be guilty of assault. In other states, you can only be found guilty of one or the other. More information on battery can be found in the guides below.