Intentional wrongdoing involves a willful act that violates another person’s interests. Not only must the action be intentional, but the perpetrator must realize that the action will result in harm. Intentional torts include:

■ Assault is the infringement on the mental security or tranquility of another person.

Battery is the violation of another person’s physical integrity. No actual physical harm needs to have occurred for an individual to be guilty of assault.

■ False imprisonment is the unlawful restraint of an individual’s personal liberty or the unlawful restraint or confinement of an individual. For a false imprisonment charge to warrant recovery, the plaintiff must be aware of the confinement and have no reasonable means of escape.

■ Defamation of character is a false oral or written communication to someone other than the individual defamed that subjects that individual’s reputation to scorn and ridicule in the eyes of a substantial number of respectable people in the community.

Two aspects of defamation of character are:

• Libel: Written defamation.

• Slander: Spoken (verbal) defamation.

■ Fraud is a willful and intentional misrepresentation that could cause harm or loss to an individual or property. To prove fraud, the following elements must be established:

(1) an untrue statement known to be untrue by the party making it and made with the intent to deceive; 

(2) a justifiable reliance by the victim on the truth of that statement; and, 

(3) damages as a result of that reliance.

■ Invasion of privacy is a wrong that interferes with the right of an individual to personal privacy.

■ Infliction of mental distress is conducted so outrageous that it goes beyond the bounds tolerated by a decent society. Mental distress can include mental suffering from painful emotions such as grief, public humiliation, despair, shame, and wounded pride.

■ Product liability is the liability of a manufacturer, seller, or supplier of chattels to a buyer or other third party for injuries sustained because of a defect in a product.