Is it Legal to Protect Your Girlfriend in a Fight?

Posted 2332 days ago

Protect Your Girlfriend

It’s pretty well know that there are laws that protect you when you’re defending yourself in a fight, but what if it’s your girlfriend or someone else that needs a helping hand?

Most states recognize this as “defense of others” where force is used to protect another from danger, and will grant you the same rights as if you were acting on self-defense. Generally, you need to prove that you used reasonable force and that she was in real danger of being hurt.

I think the laws are still pretty murky, and that the legal justification of protecting your girlfriend isn’t as clear-cut as self-defense.

What do you think? Is it illegal to protect your girlfriend? Would you not step in unless you knew for a fact she couldn’t handle it herself for worry that you’ll be locked up? Act now, think later?

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  • heartofjosh

    LAWS OR NO LAWS – Anyone that messes with my girl is going down!!!

  • AllaN

    ^ Agreed, You are with your girlfriend to protect her, so when shes in any danger, the obvious thing is to keep her safe

  • heijin

    well said, heartofjosh

  • David

    I’d say, protect her with my life. Hey, once you jump in to help, you gotta protect yourself from the other person right? so that makes it totally self defense too. ;)

  • http://www.kineda.com Terry Ng

    Let’s say… the two of you are at a club. You step away to hit the bathroom for a minute, and come back out noticing some jerk is trying to grab your girl and won’t let her go.

    You step in of course, exchange a few words and the jerk pushes you. You push him back, and then a fight ensues. Your adrenaline is pumping and you end up sending the guy to the emergency room.

    Was it self-defense? Were you really just defending her?

  • JwKuo87

    I wouldn’t consider that to be self defense. The whole thing escalated when you stepped in. And you probably could have controlled yourself from engaging in a fight. When somebody pushes you and you push him back, that’s not what I would call self defense. That’s childish to some extent, since it basically comes down to getting even with the excuse “he pushed me first”.

    I think I’d consider it to be self defense when the conflict has already become somewhat dangerous.

  • paddyspoint

    the picture with the police officer is scary, btw.

    please change it.

    if your girlfriend asks for your help, then help her.
    if she can defend herself, and wants to defend herself, then maybe you should let her (one of these girl-power movements where women assert their strength).

    unless of course it is a life-or-death situation, you have an obligation to save her life, with or without her consent.

  • Hello Kitty

    Terry: you can of course justifiably defend family and friends in the same way as you can defend yourself. However, keep in mind that you can only defend, and only defend if necessary (i.e. avoiding the confrontation is not possible).

    What you have described in the comments sounds more like a fight than defending anybody. A threatening push can in no way justify sending someone to the emergency room. Neither you nor your girlfriend was put into any risk of real harm.

    On the other hand, the cops usually wouldn’t care about small fights that don’t result in much damage. So if someone punches you or tries to grab your girlfriend, you can show him he’s messing with the wrong guy and stop there. DON’T send him to the emergency room.

  • vm3z9

    I’d say it’s self-defense if the other person escalates the situation where you have no choice but to retaliate to keep harm from yourself.

    What would you do if your girl was fighting another girl?

  • http://www.erapo.szm.sk Lenka

    It depend, but if somebody touch on my girl … “is going down!!!”

  • beni

    thats picture is just nasty.

    on a happier note, Candy Monster

  • Dexter Kanuto

    A man’s nature is to defend a woman. If the woman can’t fight herself out of the brawl, then a man should do his duty. Sometimes, women can kick ass better than men. Maybe your woman can have a special skill in martial arts, and sometimes, she don’t need your help after all, oh what a strong woman she’ll be.

  • Police Oracle

    Hi there,

    You’re covered under UK law.

    You may only use reasonable force.

    In certain circumstances you may be able to use a ‘pre-emptive strike’.

    Makesure that inform the police about the incident as soon as practicable.

    Further reading here.
    http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/section5/chapter_d.html

    Cheers

  • aammm

    Hey, who gives a damn about the law, i would kill for my girlfriend =)

  • surferdude80

    Okay, if someone is threatening her life or seriously beating her up, I would step in and protect my girlfriend, but I’ve had other situations where I should have not stepped in. Example: girlfriend and I are at a bar, she complains about having these guys that keep groping and grabbing her. I kept insisting that she point them out to me, she says no but finally gives in. I went over and stupidly asked if they were harassing my girlfriend. These guys get up in my face, ready to fight, the bouncer kicks us all out and before I know it, there are like three guys pounding me into the concrete. I ended up in the hospital. We could have just left or I could have just told the bouncer that some guys were harassing my girl.

    So my question is, if some guy is grabbing or groping your girl, not threatening her life, or insults your girlfriend in front of you, is it worth fighting? I don’t think so, but then again, I don’t want to look like a wuss.

  • RedneckSteve

    of course its leagal to protect yer girl aslong as you dont use to much force i.e. breaking limbs so on and so forth i have a military background so if i was to step in i could only restrain but if i didnt have the military training i have then i would be allowed to go as far as to throw a few punches.

  • Michelle

    If you sent the guy to the ER…. I dont think that is classified under “self defense” guys… you totally knocked him into the ER… I think self defense is at the level only ENOUGH force is use to block or stop the assault but doesnt mean you can go crazy and sent anyone to the ER. You do realize that in the process of self defense and you became the assaut person you will get charges pressed against you right? So that’s mean, if someone start something with you or your GF, you beat him enough for him to stop is ok, but if you knocked him enough he stop and you began to go crazy on him and send him to the ER you are now the assaulting person…

  • Christophernlockery

    Glad that you have put this up!

    I would defend my GF anyway, and I’m glad that I’ll also NOT go to jail for it….

    However there are a few another things I’m going to ask…..

    Suppose if your girl was being beat up (or just being given grief) by another woman would you kick the shit out of her?

    I would not matter who it was or how much weaker they were than myself!

    Also if the person was of an ethnic group other than your own is it ok (if they are beating up your girl, or being just dicks) to provoke them into attacking you first (so that you can defend your self) by yelling abuse at them?

    The way I see it is that as long as they can’t prove that you done this (i.e. you remain quiet about it or make sure that they can’t prove it.) the cops can’t arrest you!

    On top of that were does this leave it when a family member or so called ‘friend’ (or whoever) gives your girlfriend grief abet in a non violent way?

    I was just wondering this as my gf has been having a few issues with a flat mate (she lives in a small hostel at the moment although we will be moving in together sometime soon)

  • SheDevil

    Well, Speaking for a girl sinse i am one. I dont want my boyfreind to solve everything for me. for instance if somebody is giving me shit i dont want him to like pound whoever it is into the ground i can do that myself, but if i was getting pounded into the ground then by all mean help me out. But that doesnt mean that u get to do everthing i am not a chile and i can handle it myself!

  • Lauralee

    I figure if a girl is being beaten by someone bigger, and stronger, then of course you should help her, your not fighting to fight, your fighting to protect, right? Its reasonable enough, just dont kill the damn guy. A black eye and a kick in the nuts would suffice :) Lmao. Id like to think as a girl I could defend myself, but if ever a moment came and I just couldnt, a little help would be nice.. ;)

  • Freddy

    yeah right, you have to be able to protect her. for examle there was this guy the other day who kept on looking at my girl. i noticed him, but since my gitl knows that am a hard one, she didn’t tell me, but finally gave in and asked me if i could go and talk to the guy, and ask him to stop. i readily accepted, and took her with me. i punched the guy twice in the nose, and he got all bloody. i was ready to bleed him more, but my girl who was just behind me, told me that its enough for today and that she’s happy that i bleed a guy for her. we are married since, and no one has ever looked at her again. and if it happens again, i would beed that guy again.

  • Gary17983

    Protect Her, a guy grabbed my girlfriend and tried to drag her away from me, i hit him in the face and fractured his skull, and the cops called defence for another person.

  • aammmn

    no its illegal. She isn’t considered a family of up 4th civil degree of affinity in which case you can kill the attacker by any means if you see your family member in danger of life or limb. Nor can she be classified as a “stranger” in which case, you should not have any ill feelings like hatred or anger towards an attacker of a “stranger” in case you want to protect that stranger. Lets say you see your girlfriend getting mugged and you killed the bastard that mugged her. You can still be sued.