According to Penn. Stat. §2701, simple assault refers to someone attempting to cause bodily injury. It also refers to another person who intentionally, knowingly, and recklessly caused bodily injury. Additional definitions by statute include:
Negligently causing bodily injury with a deadly weapon
Putting you in fear of serious bodily injury — such as pointing a gun at you or telling you they are going to kill you
Purposely concealing a hypodermic needle and stabbing any police officer or employee of a correctional institute with it during a search
In most cases, a person convicted of simple assault may be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor. If you mutually consented to a fight, the charge may be a third-degree misdemeanor. If the simple assault was against a child under 12 years of age and the defendant was 18 years or older, the defendant may be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor.