Library

• ● Mar, 2025
• ● Karen Ingala Smith Clarrie O’Callaghan Katie Elliott Rosie Allen Veronica Jaso Heather Harvey
• ● Research report

Of the 2,000 women aged 14 years and above who were killed in the UK since 2014, strangulation was used in 550 (27%) killings. 372 were strangled by an intimate partner.

• ● Feb, 2025
• ● Baroness Gabby Bertin
• ● Research report

This report makes recommendations to the government on how to address the harmful impacts of pornography. The report also looks at the 'choking' and strangulation content in porn and makes recommendations for this content to be made illegal.

• ● Jan, 2025
• ● Domestic Abuse Commissioner
• ● Research report

A new report from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, uncovers that the criminal justice system is unfit to hold abusers to account and safeguard domestic abuse victims. The work of IFAS was mentioned in the report.

• ● Jan, 2025
• ● The Economist
• ● News Article

IFAS and Bangor University survey looking at understanding prevalence of strangulation during sex in the UK was covered by The Economist.

• ● Dec, 2024
• ● Dugan S Patch M Hoang T Anderson J C
• ● Academic article

This retrospective analysis describes anoxic brain injury symptom prevalence in a sample of patients reporting NF-IPS.

• ● Dec, 2024
• ● BBC
• ● News Article

"It shouldn't be disregarded as a small crime, I thought I'd die when it happened to me." The words of Sophie Henson, 24, who said she felt reassured to see "strangulation taken seriously" now by the justice system.

• ● Dec, 2024
• ● Sentencing Council
• ● Guidance

New guidelines have been published effective January 2025,to help the courts sentence new offences and provide transparency for victims, offenders and the public. The guideline was developed following public consultation which IFAS was involved in.

• ● Dec, 2024
• ● Australian Women’s Health Alliance
• ● Research report

This paper by Australian Women's Health Alliance describes the links between gender, gender-based violence and acquired brain injury (ABI) prevalence. Rising rates of sexual violence and sexual strangulation are placing women at higher risk of ABI.

• ● Dec, 2024
• ● The Guardian
• ● News Article

Murderers in England and Wales who kill their ex-partners or use strangulation will face longer prison sentences, ministers have said. Under new laws judges will have to consider tougher jail terms for murderers who strangle their victims.

• ● Nov, 2024
• ● Brainkind
• ● Research report

Complex Lives, is the first study by BrainKind to explore the prevalence of brain injury in women in contact with the criminal justice system in Wales. 78% reported being held in a way they could not breathe.

• ● Nov, 2024
• ● BBC
• ● News Article

Non- fatal strangulation laws have already been introduced in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Currently in Scotland, non- fatal strangulation is classed as assault which does not address the physical and psychological impact it can cause.

• ● Nov, 2024
• ● BBC
• ● News Article

Minister said the offence could be prosecuted under grave and criminal and common assault, recognising the act was "extremely serious and can cause severe and long-lasting impacts for victims".

• ● Sep, 2024
• ● The Conversation
• ● News Article

An act seemingly once confined to bondage and “kink” communities has become mainstream. Despite the many risks to health (including death), sexual choking is now popular, even commonplace, particularly among young people.

• ● Jul, 2024
• ●
• ● Website

Network 18-30 are campaigning to highlight the increasing issue of non-fatal strangulation and suffocation, particularly during consensual sex. Incidents are on the rise, and this is being associated with children’s increasing access to porn.

• ● Jul, 2024
• ● Sharman, L. S., Fitzgerald, R. & Douglas, H.
• ● Academic article

A recent survey of over 4,000 young Australians, aged 18-35 years found that more than half (57%) reported being strangled by a partner during sex and about half (51%) reported that they had strangled their partner during sex.

• ● Jul, 2023
• ● ITV News
• ● News Article

More than 200 people have been charged with non-fatal strangulation offences after the law was changed to protect victims of domestic abuse.

• ● Jun, 2023
• ● Belfast Live
• ● News Article

On Monday 26th June, non-fatal strangulation or asphyxiation (under The Justice Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims Act NI 2022) has been made a specific criminal offence in Northern Ireland, punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment.

• ● Jun, 2023
• ● Belfast Live
• ● News Article

“I was strangled the second time to the point where I blacked out, lost control of my bladder and bowels and honestly felt I was going to die"

• ● Jun, 2023
• ● Yorkshire Bylines
• ● News Article

Recent legislation helps courts address a previously neglected form of violence

• ● May, 2023
• ● The Guardian
• ● News Article

Offenders convicted under new law in England and Wales spared jail, analysis carried out by the Observer shows

• ● May, 2023
• ● Bendlin M Sheridan L
• ● Academic article

Few studies have explored non–fatal strangulation and coercive control, and no studies have explored these factors within a sample of stalkers.

• ● Jan, 2023
• ● BBC
• ● Podcast

Listen from 42 minutes onwards as Chanel Cantos explains why she wants to challenge the normalisation of sexual choking and writer Rachel Thompson explores why these acts are so prevalent, and whether women and girls are feeling pressured into them.

• ● Jan, 2023
• ● Brady, Patrick Q
• ● Study

A study exploring how well police officers identify strangulation injuries on various skin tones.

• ● Aug, 2022
• ● Lowick V Cheyne N
• ● Review article

A review of the published literature on strangulation with an emphasis on violence against women.

• ● Aug, 2022
• ● Monkton-Smith J et al
• ● Research report

A study to investigate the causes, drivers and aggravating factors of high risk coercive control and whether they can be used to anticipate escalating risk of homicide and victim suicide.

• ● Aug, 2022
• ● Lovatt H et al
• ● Research report

Australian women’s experiences of non-fatal strangulation within abusive relationships.

• ● Jun, 2022
• ● Gaddis G et al
• ● Non-academic article

A response to a study by Zuberi et al. The authors advocate the use of angiographic imaging where appropriate.

• ● Mar, 2022
• ● Bettinson V
• ● Academic article

An examination of the new offence of non-fatal strangulation s. 75A Serious Crime Act 2015, inserted by s. 70 Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and concludes that further re-drafting should be considered.

• ● Jan, 2022
• ● Bergin A et al
• ● Study

A retrospective review of 345 female patients' records who attended an emergency department following intimate partner nonfatal strangulation.

• ● Sep, 2021
• ● Fitzgerald R Douglas H
• ● Review article

A study in which prosecution and defence lawyers were asked to discuss the evidential obstacles to successful prosecutions in Australian non-fatal strangulation cases.

• ● Jun, 2021
• ● Logan TK
• ● Academic article

A study to examine relationship and abuse tactics for women with and without NFS experiences the year before, and the year after, a civil protective order against an abusive (ex)partner was obtained.

• ● Feb, 2021
• ● Black J et al
• ● Study

The study aimed to accurately determine the incidence of blunt cerebrovascular injury following blunt trauma injuries.

• ● Jan, 2021
• ● Kelly R Ormerod D
• ● Academic article

An argument for the introduction of a specific offence of non-fatal strangulation and suffocation to be created in England and Wales.

• ● Apr, 2020
• ● Douglas H
• ● Academic article

The experiences of 24 women who have experienced non-fatal strangulation.

• ● Mar, 2020
• ● Matusz EC et al
• ● Study

A study to define the rate of serious injuries in alert strangled patients and determine which symptoms and examination findings, if any, predict such injuries.

• ● Nov, 2019
• ● BBC
• ● News Article

Over a third of UK women under the age of 40 have experienced unwanted slapping, choking, gagging or spitting during consensual sex. Read women’s experiences of how violence during sex has become 'normalised'.

• ● Nov, 2019
• ● BBC
• ● Podcast

Emma Barnett meets women who experienced unwanted acts of violence during consensual sex. This episode also includes input from a psychotherapist and an activist from We Can't Consent to This.

• ● Oct, 2019
• ● BBC
• ● Podcast

Sarah was strangled by her partner, but he never went to prison for it. Is the strangling law fit for purpose?

• ● Sep, 2019
• ● Santoro P et al
• ● Review article

A review of the literature relating to suffocation via plastic bags with an analysis of two case studies.

• ● May, 2019
• ● Bruguier C et al
• ● Study

A retrospective analysis of medicolegal reports where patients have survived strangulation and an assessment as to the value of using an MRI examination of the neck in those cases.

• ● Feb, 2019
• ● De Boos J
• ● Academic article

This article reviews existing literature, summarises the injuries that can occur following strangulation and discusses the quality of the evidence.

• ● Oct, 2018
• ● Brommeland T et al
• ● Review article

A systematic review of the literature related to blunt cerebrovascular injury and best practice guidelines based on this analysis.

• ● Aug, 2018
• ● Stansfield R et al
• ● Academic article

A study exploring the relationship between death threats and nonfatal strangulation plus an examination of the impact of recommended interventions on repeat NFS offending.

• ● Jan, 2018
• ● Messing JT et al
• ● Academic article

A survey of women experiencing domestic abuse which explored the prevalence of attempted, completed and multiple non-fatal strangulations.

• ● Jan, 2017
• ● Gill J et al
• ● Non-academic article

This study explores whether internal soft tissue injuries of the neck can be detected via MRI in victims of survived strangulation presenting without any external findings.

• ● Jun, 2016
• ● Zilkens RR et al
• ● Study

The research explores the prevalence, risk factors, signs and symptoms of NFS in women referred to a Sexual Assault Resource Centre following recent sexual assault.

• ● Mar, 2016
• ● Defenderfer EK et al
• ● Study

An analysis of YouTube videos displaying the "choking game."

• ● Dec, 2015
• ● Pritchard AJ et al
• ● Review article

A review of the literature regarding non-fatal strangulation in domestic abuse cases, looking specifically at the research different disciplines have produced.

• ● Oct, 2014
• ● Sorenson S et al
• ● Review article

A systematic review of the literature relating to non-fatal strangulation with the aim of understanding prevalence.

• ● Jan, 2014
• ● Douglas H Fitzgerald R
• ● Case study

A study of court files involving domestic violence protection orders in which strangulation allegations made by those applying for protection orders are responded to by police and courts in Queensland, Australia.

• ● May, 2013
• ● Thomas KA et al
• ● Study

A qualitative study to explore 17 women’s experiences of, thoughts about, and reactions to being strangled.

• ● Jul, 2012
• ● Bernacki JM et al
• ● Study

An investigation into parents’ knowledge of the “choking game,” its risks and their attitude towards prevention methods.

• ● Mar, 2012
• ● Dayapala A et al
• ● Case study

A case report on the death of a 3 year old girl who suffered delayed sequela following manual strangulation.

• ● Sep, 2010
• ● Christe A et al
• ● Study

A study to examine the clinical forensic findings of strangulation according to their ability to differentiate between life-threatening and nonlife-threatening strangulation, compare clinical and MRI findings of the neck and discuss a scoring system.

• ● Sep, 2009
• ● Di Paolo M et al
• ● Case study

A case report demonstrating the importance of detailed clinical assessment in victims of attempted manual strangulation, and an example of delayed death in an elderly male patient.

• ● Mar, 2009
• ● Christe A et al
• ● Study

A study to determine objective radiological signs of danger to life in survivors of manual strangulation and to establish a radiological scoring system for the differentiation between life-threatening and non-life-threatening strangulation.

• ● Feb, 2008
• ● US Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• ● Research report

A report on the role of the “choking game” in deaths of children aged 6-19 in the USA between 1995 and 2007.

• ● Dec, 2007
• ● Thomas A et al
• ● Study

Cases studies of children who have self-asphyxiated via strangulation plus difficulties in differentiating suicide from death caused by asphyxiation “games.”

• ● Nov, 2007
• ● Glass N et al
• ● Study

This study examines non-fatal strangulation by an intimate partner as a risk factor for major assault, or attempted or completed homicide of women. The analysis concludes that non-fatal strangulation is an important risk factor for homicide of women.

• ● Jul, 2006
• ● Chokyu I et al
• ● Case study

The successful treatment via stent placement of a 61 year old woman following bilateral common carotid artery dissection.

• ● May, 2005
• ● Clarot F et al
• ● Case study

Description of two cases of carotid artery dissection following strangulation with delayed symptoms as well as discussion of medical diagnostic problems and their forensic implications.

• ● Oct, 2001
• ● McClane GE et al
• ● Review article

A review of the clinical literature relating to injuries of strangulation victims and the creation of an emergency room protocol.

• ● Oct, 2001
• ● Wilbur L et al
• ● Study

A survey of NFS survivors to investigate incidence of NFS, medical symptoms, and survivors’ use of medical service post NFS.

• ● Jun, 2001
• ● Rogde S et al
• ● Study

An analysis of asphyxiation homicides via autopsy reports in Copenhagen and Oslo between 1985 and 1994.

• ● Mar, 2000
• ● Di Maio V
• ● Study

The case files of a US medical examiner’s office were reviewed to better understand homicides via asphyxiation.

• ● Mar, 2000
• ● Malek AM et al
• ● Case study

An analysis of three cases in which women were strangled by their partner and later suffered a delayed stroke.

• ● Dec, 1998
• ● Dix J
• ● Case study

A case study of two suffocation homicides committed by a babysitter and ways to differentiate homicide from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

• ● Jan, 1998
• ● Martin PJ et al
• ● Letter

A letter describing a man who experienced stroke five months after an internal carotid artery dissection.

• ● Oct, 1989
• ● Kuriloff D et al
• ● Case study

Description of a patient who 36 hours following manual strangulation developed acute upper airway obstruction and neck abscess necessitating tracheotomy, neck exploration, and drainage.

• ● Aug, 1980
• ● Milligan N et al
• ● Case study

Description of two cases in which women were strangled by their partners and then suffered a stroke.