If a psychiatric technician administers medication against a client's will, what legal charge could they face?

Administering medication against a client's will can lead to a charge of battery. This is because battery is defined as the unlawful physical act of interfering with another person, including any form of physical contact without consent. In the context of psychiatric care, giving medication without the patient's consent is considered a violation of their personal autonomy and can be classified as a harmful or offensive touching.

Informed consent, while an important concept in mental health care, typically refers to the process of ensuring that clients are fully aware of and agree to the proposed treatment. If a patient is medicated against their will, it means that informed consent has not been appropriately obtained, but that specifically aligns more with battery in this context, as it involves a physical action taken without regard for the client's consent.

Therefore, the action of compelling a client to receive medication contrary to their wishes is primarily a legal issue of battery, as it involves the non-consensual application of a physical intervention.