Endangerment is a category of criminal law offenses characterized by conduct that creates a significant, unjustified risk of harm to others, even in the absence of actual intention or physical injury. Unlike crimes that require a completed result, endangerment offenses are often "prophylactic" or inchoate in nature; they are designed to prevent harm by criminalizing the underlying reckless or negligent conduct that precedes it. Depending on how serious the behavior is, the legal consequences for endangerment can span the full spectrum from minor misdemeanor charges to major felony counts.