Product Code Database
Intimidation is a behavior and legal wrong which usually involves deterring or coercing an individual by threat of violence. It is in various a crime and a civil wrong (tort). Intimidation is similar to menacing, coercion, terrorizing and assault in the traditional sense.
This includes intentional behaviors of forcing another person to experience general discomfort such as humiliation, embarrassment, inferiority, limited freedom, etc and the victim might be targeted based on multiple factors like gender, race, class, skin color, competency, knowledge, wealth, temperament, etc. Intimidation is done for making the other person submissive (also known as cowing), to destabilize/undermine the other, to force compliance, to hide one's insecurities, to socially valorize oneself, etc. There are active and passive coping mechanisms against intimidation that include, but are not limited to, not letting the intimidator invade your personal dignity and space, addressing their behavior directly, understanding those behaviors as methods to bypass ethical norms and exploit fear as a means of securing compliance or dominance, or sometimes as final straws the person has to achieve their antisocial goals, avoiding the person, being cautious around them, honing breakaway skills, documenting, etc. Victims of intimidation would reasonably develop apprehension, experience fear of injury or harm, etc from the unwanted behaviors or tools of intimidation that include, and not limited to, condescending, rudeness, sarcasm, disrespecting, patronizing, degrading, disparaging, etc. However, it is not legally necessary to prove that the behavior caused the victim to experience or panic. (2026). 9780314199508, West. ISBN 9780314199508
Intimidation as a political process is done through national level threats to compel or deter another country to operate in ways the intimidating country wants it to be, an example of political intimidation is putting an embargo on items that the target country depends through import for forcing their compliance. Certain second and third world countries use terrorism as an intimidation tactic. "A terroristic threat is a crime generally involving a threat to commit violence communicated with the intent to terrorize other." Personal intimidation is considered to be a management strategy to signal/inform potential rivals that they may face significant consequences if they act against the person in charge/management or to get workers in line. Certain forms of intimidation like sexual and racial ones are considered as criminal offense in several civilized countries.
Intimidation may manifest into coercion or threat with physical contacts, glowering countenance or in its own manner as emotional manipulation, verbal abuse, making someone feel lower than you, purposeful embarrassment and/or actual physical assault. "Behavior may become harassment in forms of epithets, derogatory comments or slurs and lewd propositions, assault, impeding or blocking movement, offensive touching or any physical interference with normal work or movement, and visual insults, such as derogatory posters or cartoons."
Threatening behaviors may be conceptualized as a maladaptive outgrowth of normal competitive urge for interrelational dominance generally seen in animals. Alternatively, intimidation may result from the type of society in which individuals are socialized, as human beings are generally reluctant to engage in confrontation or threaten violence.Randall Collins, Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory (2009)
Like all behavioral traits, it exists in greater or lesser manifestation in each individual person over time, but may be a more significant "compensatory behavior" for some as opposed to others. Behavioral theorists often see threatening behaviours as a consequence of being threatened by others, including parents, teacher, playmates and siblings. For self-defense, use of force is justified when a person reasonably believes that it the force is necessary to defend themself or another against the immediate use of unlawful force.
In Montana, Intimidation is defined as follows:
Several states have a crime called " ethnic intimidation". For instance, the law of the state of Michigan reads:
Crimes closely related to intimidation are menacing, coercion, terrorizing, and assault.The traditional common law definition of assault of putting the victim in fear/apprehension of harm is maintained in many states; in other states, assault is now defined as the contact itself, having replaced the traditional common law crime of battery. Further, in other states, assault may encompass both the threat and the contact. For more details, see the Assault and battery articles.
In California, making criminal threats is a hybrid offence and may be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony under California Penal Code 422. A felony criminal threat is a strike under California's three strikes law.
As a criminal offense
India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia & Singapore
Indian Penal Code (IPC), and penal codes of other nations based on IPC such as Singapore Penal Code, Malaysian Penal Code, Pakistan Penal Code, Bangladesh Penal Code, etc make the "criminal intimidation" a punishable offense under the section 503 to 506. Criminal intimidation in Indian law, accessed 12 July 2023. Criminal intimidation in Singapore law, accessed 12 July 2023. Criminal intimidation in Pakistani law, India Law Portal, accessed 12 July 2023. Criminal intimidation in Bangladesh law, India Law Portal, accessed 12 July 2023. Criminal intimidation in Malaysian law, India Law Portal, accessed 12 July 2023.
United States
"Intimidation" is the name of a criminal offence in several U.S. states. The definitions of the crime of Intimidation differ by state.
As a civil offense
United States
Intimidation can also be a civil offense, in addition to a criminal offense, in some U.S. states. For example, in Oregon a violation of the state criminal statute for intimidation results in a civil violation. The plaintiff in the civil suit for intimidation may then secure remedies including an injunction or special and general damages.
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