A disturbing new study has revealed that nearly half of sexually active teenagers in the UK have experienced strangulation during intimate encounters, despite mounting evidence of serious physical and psychological harm.
The Alarming Statistics
Research published by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation found that 43% of sexually active under-18s have either been strangled or strangled someone during sex. The practice, commonly known as "choking," has become worryingly normalised among young people.
The study uncovered significant distress among those on the receiving end, with 36% reporting feeling scared during the experience and 21% suffering dangerous physical symptoms. Even more concerning, one in 50 participants reported losing consciousness, while one in 100 experienced loss of bowel control.
Root Causes: Pornography's Toxic Influence
Experts point to two primary factors driving this dangerous trend. First, children are being exposed to online pornography at increasingly younger ages, with the average child first seeing pornographic content at just 13 years old. Many access it even earlier, before they possess the maturity to understand what they're viewing.
Second, depictions of choking in pornography have skyrocketed. While research twenty years ago found virtually no such content, a recent study by the children's commissioner revealed that 58% of young people have now seen strangulation in pornography.
Anna Moore, a Guardian journalist who has extensively covered this issue, explains: "When I first wrote about it, it was shocking, but in the years since, it's become far more acceptable. It seems it's a likely encounter, not a shocking encounter."
Hidden Dangers and Long-Term Consequences
Contrary to dangerous advice circulating online, there is no safe way to practice strangulation. The human neck, particularly in young women, is alarmingly fragile. Blocking the jugular vein requires less pressure than opening a can of soft drink.
The physical consequences can be severe and life-altering. Strangulation is now considered the second most common cause of stroke for women under 40. Other risks include difficulties swallowing, incontinence, seizures, anxiety, and miscarriage.
Emerging research using MRI scans and blood tests reveals even more concerning long-term damage. Professor Clare McGlynn from Durham University warns: "Frequent sexual strangulation, which is four times a month, is impairing cognitive processing. It's like memory loss or repeated concussion in sports, cumulative over time."
The gender dynamics reveal complex pressures, with Jane Meyrick, a chartered health psychologist, noting: "I've had young people come to me in tears, young women saying, 'I don't want to be strangled' and young men saying, 'I don't want to do it'."
Legal Changes and Future Solutions
There is some hope on the horizon. The Online Safety Act will soon criminalise porn featuring strangulation or suffocation, requiring tech platforms to remove such material. This follows recommendations from Baroness Bertin's review, which concluded that choking represents "the starkest example of where online violent pornography has changed offline behaviour."
However, enforcement remains a challenge. Professor McGlynn notes that while pornography depicting rape is already illegal, it remains common on mainstream platforms.
Experts are calling for a large-scale national campaign to warn young people about the very real risks of brain damage and stroke associated with this dangerous practice. As this research makes clear, the normalisation of sexual strangulation among teenagers represents a urgent public health crisis that demands immediate attention and action.
