What term describes serious violent conduct that causes fear for safety?

The term that best describes serious violent conduct that causes fear for safety is affray. Affray specifically refers to situations where two or more individuals engage in violent confrontation in a public place, which leads to the reasonable fear of safety among onlookers or bystanders. The key element of affray is the aspect of creating fear, as it doesn't necessarily require physical contact but must involve significant threats of violence that instill fear in the public.

Assault, on the other hand, is often understood as an act that involves intentionally causing someone to fear imminent bodily harm, but it doesn't always capture the public disturbance aspect of affray. Aggravated assault typically denotes a more severe form of assault that may involve a weapon or serious injury, making it focused on the act of causing harm rather than the conduct that incites fear. Battery refers specifically to the actual physical contact or harm inflicted on another person, which is also not aligned with the broader public fear aspect encapsulated in affray. Thus, affray is the most appropriate term for serious violent conduct that creates fear for safety in a public context.