“Assault” and “battery” are common-law terms that have been defined differently in different places. For example, in US states, some treat them as distinct, and others don’t.
But in the US, you’d have to look at the law in the state where the offense occurred. Generally, assault has to be an immediate, actionable threat, and battery will have levels of severity starting with putting one’s hands on someone, up to actions causing different degrees of injury. And then there’s sexual assault, which has its own definition, but one which would be unlikely to encompass leg-touching.
“Assault” and “battery” are common-law terms that have been defined differently in different places. For example, in US states, some treat them as distinct, and others don’t.
In the UK, where common law originated, the definitions have been defined through centuries of case law and codified in legislation. The current state of play is this: https://www.lawcases.net/guides/assault-and-battery-in-english-law/
But in the US, you’d have to look at the law in the state where the offense occurred. Generally, assault has to be an immediate, actionable threat, and battery will have levels of severity starting with putting one’s hands on someone, up to actions causing different degrees of injury. And then there’s sexual assault, which has its own definition, but one which would be unlikely to encompass leg-touching.