Criminal threatening: Encyclopedia - Criminal threatening

Criminal threatening

Physical abuse
Torture / Severe Corporal punishment

Psychological abuse
Humiliation / Intimidation / Bullying
Hate speech / Manipulation / Stalking
/ Coercive persuasion
Sexual abuse
Sexual assault / Rape
Sexual harassment

Child abuse / Domestic violence
Prisoner abuse / Elder abuse
Animal abuse

Police brutality
Human experimentation

Criminal threatening is the crime of intentionally or knowingly putting another person in fear of imminent bodily injury. In most U.S. jurisdictions, the crime remains a misdemeanor unless a deadly weapon is involved or actual violence is committed, in which case it is usually considered a felony.

Criminal threatening can be the result of verbal threats of violence, physical conduct (such as hand gestures or raised fists), actual physical contact, or even simply the placing of an object or graffiti on the property of another person with the purpose of coercing or terrorizing.

Criminal threatening is also defined by arson, vandalism, the delivery of noxious biological or chemical substances (or any substance that appears to be a toxic substance), or any other crime against the property of another person with the purpose of coercing or terrorizing any person in reckless disregard for causing fear, terror or inconvenience;

"Terrorizing" generally means to cause alarm, fright, or dread in another person or inducing apprehension of violence from a hostile or threatening event, person or object.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Criminal threatening", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki