Strangulation is a high-risk indicator of escalating harm, yet understanding the scale and nature of these offences relies on consistent, high-quality data.
Our latest IFAS report examines how strangulation and suffocation offences are recorded across England and Wales, nearly three years after the introduction of the standalone offence.
The findings highlight variation in recording practices, including differences in categorisation, missing data and inconsistent reporting, which can affect how clearly we understand risk, prevalence and patterns of harm.
As Dr Zoe Callon explains, “variation in how offences are categorised and reported means we cannot build a clear and consistent picture.”
Bernie Ryan OBE adds that inconsistent data “limits our ability to identify risk and intervene effectively.”
Policing partners also highlight that “consistent data is crucial to understanding the scale and nature of offending” and remains key to improving responses and keeping people safe.
Improving consistency in how data is recorded is essential to strengthening prevention, supporting victims and informing effective responses.
Read more on the website
#StrangulationAwareness #VAWG #Safeguarding #PublicProtection #IFAS
Strangulation is often framed as a gendered crime, but what happens when we look more closely at identity, power and vulnerability?
In Part 2 of our podcast, Dr Patrick Brady, Criminologist and Professor at the @uccs , explores strangulation in the context of domestic abuse, including same-sex relationships, coercive control, disability, skin tone bias in injury identification, and the barriers survivors face in accessing medical care.
The conversation highlights the importance of better data, better language for first responders, and better understanding of how perpetrators exploit vulnerability.
Listen to the full episode via link in BIO
#StrangulationAwareness #DomesticAbuse #CoerciveControl #Safeguarding #VAWG
This week is Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week, a time to listen, learn and act.
Strangulation is increasingly reported within sexual violence and abuse. It can cause life-threatening harm in seconds, often leaving no visible injury, and is frequently misunderstood or minimised as “rough sex” rather than recognised for the serious risk it represents.
Awareness matters because:
▪️Strangulation is a strong indicator of escalating harm
▪️Victims often experience memory loss, confusion and extreme fear
▪️The absence of visible marks does not mean the absence of danger
At IFAS, we work to improve understanding, training and responses so professionals can identify strangulation early and protect those at risk.
If you work in policing, healthcare, education or safeguarding, taking strangulation seriously can save lives.
#SexualViolenceAwarenessWeek #StrangulationAwareness #VAWG #Safeguarding #IFAS
As we enter the final days of the 16 Days of Activism, we’re spotlighting the reality of strangulation, a form of harm that rarely leaves visible injury, yet has profound and lasting psychological effects.
Our “You Look Fine” report shows survivors describing memory loss, sleep disturbance, hypervigilance and persistent fear long after the incident. One survivor, Abigail, powerfully captured this ongoing impact:
“That’s why I refer to it as the necklace of fear. It’s more like a chain. Once it’s around your neck, you can’t just shake it off.”
With the literature highlighting only around half of survivors will have any visible injury at all (Strack et al., 2001; White et al., 2021), it makes strangulation one of the most easily missed and misunderstood forms of harm.
Recognising what isn’t visible is essential for protecting survivors.
Read the full report via our website, head to IFAS resources
#16DaysOfActivism #StrangulationAwareness #IFAS #YouLookFine
Strangulation is affecting more young people than many realise. An article on @wonkhe_ by IFAS’s Research Officer Harriet Smailes explores the scale of the issue among students, and why it urgently needs more attention.
On 18 November, the IFAS Conference 2025 will bring together experts, educators, and frontline staff to explore how we can better recognise, respond to, and prevent strangulation in young people’s lives. Don’t miss this vital opportunity to learn, share, and take action.
Read the article and get your conference ticket in our bio.
#StrangulationAwareness #StudentSafety #IFASConference2025 #YouthSupport #EndingGenderBasedViolence
Join us at the IFAS Conference 2025 – Children & Young People: Could strangulation be ‘choking’ future generations? to gain the latest data, evidence‑informed tools and best practices so that student support staff and youth practitioners can better recognise, respond to, and prevent strangulation among young people. Tickets are limited and available at our bio.
#StrangulationAwareness #YouthSafety #StudentSupport #IFASConference2025 #EndingGenderBasedViolence
Strangulation is affecting more young people than many realise — yet it’s still under-discussed and often misunderstood. An article on Wonkhe by IFAS’s Research Officer Harriet Smailes explores the scale of the issue among students, and why it urgently needs more attention.
On 18 November, the IFAS Conference 2025 will bring together experts, educators, and frontline staff to explore how we can better recognise, respond to, and prevent strangulation in young people’s lives. Don’t miss this vital opportunity to learn, share, and take action.
Read the article and get your conference ticket in our bio.
#StrangulationAwareness #StudentSafety #IFASConference2025 #YouthSupport #EndingGenderBasedViolence
Strangulation during sex is often minimised or misunderstood. But the medical risks are real and serious. There is no safe way to strangle. Link in bio for our evidence-based fact sheet.
#vawg #domesticviolence #strangulationawareness #mythvfact
The neck is not designed to take pressure. Even a few seconds of strangulation can lead to unconsciousness, stroke, seizures, or death. There is no safe way to strangle. Learn more in our strangulation fact sheet, linked in bio.
Strangulation cuts off oxygen or blood flow to the brain — and the effects can be instant or delayed, visible or hidden. There is no safe way to apply pressure to someone’s neck. For facts, risks, and safer conversations: see the fact sheet in our bio.
#strangulationawareness #vawg #ifas #mythbusting #domesticviolenceawareness
Strangulation isn’t “choking.” It’s external pressure to the neck, cutting off blood or air flow, with potentially life-threatening consequences. See the fact sheet in our bio for guidance.
#strangulationawareness #university #freshersweek #domesticabuseawareness #vawg
Even if non-fatal, strangulation can cause brain injury, stroke, seizures, or long-term neurological effects. There is no safe way to strangle. More info in our fact sheet, linked in bio.
#strangulationawareness #university #freshersweek #domesticabuseawareness #vawg
