On a dare, a stranger goes up to a pretty girl and kisses her. What crime has occurred?

• A. Simple assault
• B. Assault + Battery
• C. Neither
• D. Battery only

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is non-consensual, intentional physical contact. When someone kisses another person without permission, it constitutes unlawful touching—battery—because there’s intentional contact that the other person did not consent to.

At the same time, that act shows an intent to cause or at least the offensive contact itself, which can satisfy the assault element in many jurisdictions (the act of causing fear of imminent harmful or offensive contact or the attempt/threat of such contact). Since both elements are present—unwanted contact and intentionality—the act is best described as assault plus battery.

That’s why the answer isn’t just battery or simple assault alone: there’s actual touching (battery) and the associated intentional conduct that supports the assault classification, so the combined charge fits the scenario.