Intentional torts are a special part of tort law, which deals with situations where someone purposefully harms another person. It’s important to know what makes intentional torts different from other types like negligence or strict liability.

The main idea of intentional torts is "intent." This is what sets them apart from negligence, where someone fails to be careful but doesn’t plan to cause harm. In tort law, "intent" means that the person who caused the harm either wanted to achieve a certain outcome or knew that their actions would probably lead to that outcome.

1. What is Intent?

   • General Intent: This means a person intended to do the act that caused harm, even if they didn’t mean to hurt anyone. For example, if someone swings their fist at someone else, they meant to throw a punch, even if they didn’t want to injure that person.
   • Specific Intent: This means a person wanted to cause a specific result. For example, if someone purposely sets fire to someone else’s property, they wanted both to act and to destroy it.

2. Different Types of Intentional Torts:

   • Assault: Making someone feel scared that they might be harmed.
   • Battery: Actually hitting someone or causing unwanted physical contact.
   • False Imprisonment: Keeping someone locked up against their will.
   • Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress (IIED): Trying to cause serious emotional pain through very bad behavior.
   • Trespass to Land: Going onto someone else's property without permission.
   • Trespass to Chattels: Messing with someone’s personal belongings without their permission.
   • Conversion: Taking someone’s property in a way that keeps them from using it, without their consent.

3. How to Tell Them Apart:

   • Volitional Act: Intentional torts involve actions taken by the person, while negligence is about not being careful enough.
   • Awareness: A person who commits an intentional tort usually knows what they are doing and the harm it could cause. In negligence, it’s more about whether a person should have known they were being careless.
   • Consequences: There’s a clear link between an intentional tort and the harm caused, since the person acted on purpose.

4. Damages (Compensation):

   • In intentional torts, victims can be awarded money for their losses.
   • There can also be punishment money (punitive damages) to discourage very bad behavior in the future. This is different from negligence cases, where punishment money is more unusual and harder to get.

5. Defenses:

   • Consent: If the victim agreed to the act, the person causing harm might not be held responsible. This often happens in sports or medical situations.
   • Self-Defense: Someone can defend against an intentional tort claim by showing their actions were a reasonable response to a threat.
   • Defense of Others: Like self-defense, but protecting someone else.
   • Defense of Property: People can use reasonable force to protect their things, but too much force is not okay.

In short, intentional torts are about intentionally causing harm or knowing that harm could result from what you do. This is different from negligence, which doesn’t involve the same level of intention. Different types of intentional torts show how these ideas play out in the real world, affecting who is responsible and how much they may have to pay in damages. Understanding these differences helps law students prepare for real-life legal situations.