Criminal recklessness occurs when a person:

Criminal recklessness is defined as a conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that a person's actions may cause harm to others. When someone creates a significant risk of physical harm to another person, it indicates an awareness of the potential for harmful consequences, yet they choose to act anyway, demonstrating a disregard for the safety of others. This aligns with the legal definition of recklessness, which requires both the creation of a substantial risk and the awareness of that risk.

In contrast, unintentionally causing harm or acting in self-defense does not meet the criteria for recklessness; these scenarios do not involve a conscious decision to ignore a known risk. Similarly, being unaware of one's actions expresses a lack of intent or knowledge that negates the element of recklessness, as recklessness involves a willingness to take risks that one ought to recognize.