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# VIDEO : Can I Defend Myself Against Minors ?
- URL: https://www.hermosareview.com/video-can-i-defend-myself-against-minors/
- Published: 2025-11-25T18:59:50.000Z
- Updated: 2025-12-30T18:05:21.000Z
- Author: Hermosa Review
- Tags: Crime

Watch carefully as **Hermosa Beach Police Chief Landon Phillips** explains your rights as an adult to defend yourself against minors. Click the video below, to watch as he describes your right to self-defense at the recent Public Safety Forum

## VIDEO HERE :

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[Police claim e-bike attack ‘not a targeted assault’ (UPDATED)Police issue update. “Not a targeted assault” they say.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6e/b0/6eb0c461-60b1-49cd-b904-5f02d7b5a05e/content/images/icon/R-101.png)The Hermosa ReviewHermosa Review![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/6e/b0/6eb0c461-60b1-49cd-b904-5f02d7b5a05e/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2025-11-24-at-8.16.01---AM-2.png)](https://www.hermosareview.com/police-seeking-witnesses-to-e-bike-attack/)

**General Self-Defense Principles:**

- California law allows you to use reasonable force to defend yourself against imminent harm, regardless of the attacker's age. The right to self-defense doesn't disappear simply because your attacker is under 18.
- The force used must be proportional to the threat faced. You can only use the amount of force that a reasonable person would believe is necessary to prevent imminent harm.
- California has no general "duty to retreat" in most situations. You can stand your ground if you're in a place you have a legal right to be and are not the initial aggressor.

**Special Considerations with Minor Attackers:**

- The "reasonableness" standard still applies, meaning courts will consider whether your response was appropriate given the totality of circumstances, including the minor's age, size, and apparent capability to cause harm.
- You're expected to use the minimum force necessary. If you can safely stop a threat from a smaller or younger child without significant force, using excessive force could lead to criminal charges.
- Your knowledge that the attacker is a minor may factor into what's considered "reasonable" - for example, using deadly force against a young child would almost never be justified unless facing an extremely unusual threat.

**Legal Consequences:**

- Even if criminal charges aren't filed, you could still face civil liability if your use of force is deemed excessive.