Aggravated assault is a violent crime, more serious than simple assault, that involves violence or the threat of violence intended to cause another person to fear imminent physical harm. It is generally distinguished from simple assault by the use of a deadly weapon or an intent to cause serious bodily injury, and in some jurisdictions by additional factors such as the victim being a protected official or the offense occurring through dangerous operation of a vehicle. In the United States it is charged as a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances; Canada distinguishes it within a three tier system of assault, assault causing bodily harm, and aggravated assault, while England, Wales, and Australia grade assault by severity without using a single aggravated assault category.
Facts
Classification CodeIn Canada, aggravated assault is codified as a distinct offense under section 268 of the Criminal Code, one of several graded assault charges listed alongside simple assault, assault with a weapon, and assault causing bodily harm. 1 Typical PenaltyIn Pennsylvania, a conviction for aggravated assault can bring up to 10 years in prison as a second degree felony, rising to up to 20 years as a first degree felony when the victim is a firefighter or police officer. 1 Elements of OffenseAggravated assault is generally described as an intentional act that causes another person to fear imminent physical harm or injury, most often distinguished from simple assault by the use of a deadly weapon or an intent to cause serious bodily harm. 1 Notable ExampleA notable illustration of how assault can be constituted without physical contact is the Scottish case Atkinson v. HM Advocate, in which the accused was convicted of assault for jumping over a shop counter while wearing a ski mask, the court holding that threatening gestures sufficient to produce alarm can amount to assault. 1 Jurisdiction VariationEngland and Wales has no single offense called aggravated assault; instead an assault aggravated by the scale of the injury inflicted is charged separately as actual bodily harm (ABH) or, in the severest cases, grievous bodily harm (GBH), while Canada and many United States states use aggravated assault as its own named, graded charge. 1 Classification
Offense GradeSerious or Indictable Offense 1 Connections
Has Offense Grade
Entity-backed identity for the offense-grade enum value this offense already carries, resolved to a crime concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The offense-grade fact itself stays on the offense unchanged.
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Assault (Wikipedia)
WikipediaAssault article, Related definitions section, Aggravated assault subsection
Aggravated assault is a violent crime that involves violence or the threat of violence. It is generally described as an intentional act that causes another person to fear imminent physical harm or injury.
Canada section, variations bullet list
Aggravated assault: Section 268 of the Code.
Related definitions, Aggravated assault subsection
It is generally described as an intentional act that causes another person to fear imminent physical harm or injury. This can include the use of a weapon, or the threat of using a weapon.
England and Wales, Aggravated assault sub-subsection
An assault which is aggravated by the scale of the injuries inflicted may be charged as offences causing "actual bodily harm" (ABH) or, in the severest cases, "grievous bodily harm" (GBH).
Pennsylvania section
A person convicted of aggravated assault can face up to 10 years in prison as a second-degree felony. However, if the crime is perpetrated against a firefighter or police officer, the offender may face first-degree felony charges carrying a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Scotland section
[A]n assault may be constituted by threatening gestures sufficient to produce alarm
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