Man harassing bruised woman

Physical violence occurs when a person intentionally uses a physical force to potentially harm or tries to hurt a person by hitting, kicking, burning, or other physical force, such as pushing, shoving, scratching, slapping, biting, choking, throwing, grabbing, shaking, punching or burning. The perpetrator uses their body strength, size or restraints to physically immobilize another person.

Physical violence also includes coercing other people to commit any of the above acts. Shaking is a form of physical violence to infants, which results in injury to the infant’s brain and spinal cord. As assault that lasts for a brief as 5 seconds results in shaken baby syndrome. (CDC, 2007)


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