in Anglo-American law, offense against the person in which the offender violently deprives his victim of a member of his body, thus making him less able to defend himself. The disabling of an arm, hand, finger, leg, foot, or eye are examples of mayhem. In a number of jurisdictions, mere disfigurement or maiming is considered mayhem. To be guilty of the criminal offense, one must intend to dismember the victim or must assault him so recklessly as to create the danger of dismemberment even though not intending to cripple.

Some jurisdictions do not distinguish between mayhem and other types of battery. Japan treats all batteries similarly. Most criminal systems, however, divide batteries into two classes, reserving the more severe penalties for “aggravated” batteries including mayhem. The terminology varies from country to country. Thus, Indian law divides bodily harms into “hurts” and “grievous hurts.” See also assault and battery.