A disturbing new study has revealed that nearly half of sexually active teenagers in the UK have experienced choking during intimate encounters, despite mounting evidence of the serious physical and psychological dangers involved.
The Alarming Statistics
Research published by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation, part of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians, found that 43% of sexually active under-18s have either been strangled or strangled someone during sex. The practice, commonly referred to 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. These included dizziness, neck pain, coughing, and in more severe cases, loss of consciousness. One in fifty surveyed reported losing consciousness, while one in hundred experienced loss of bladder or bowel control.
Root Causes: Pornography and Digital Exposure
Experts point to two primary factors driving this dangerous trend. First is the massive increase in young people's exposure to online pornography. A 2023 study by the children's commissioner showed the average age a child first sees pornography is just 13, with many accessing it even younger.
Second is the proliferation of choking or non-fatal strangulation (NFS) depictions in mainstream pornography. Research from twenty years ago found virtually no depictions of strangulation, but this summer, the children's commissioner revealed that 58% of young people had seen strangulation in pornography they accessed.
Anna Moore, who has written extensively on the topic for the Guardian, notes that "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."
Physical Dangers and Hidden Harms
Contrary to popular belief and dangerous online advice, there is no safe way to practice strangulation. The neck, particularly in young women, is alarmingly fragile. Blocking the jugular vein requires less pressure than opening a can of Coke.
Clare McGlynn, a professor of law at Durham University, explains that strangulation is now thought to be the second most common cause of stroke for women under 40. Other potential consequences include difficulties swallowing, incontinence, seizures, anxiety, and miscarriage.
Even more concerning are the hidden long-term harms. Studies using MRI scans and blood tests have shown that frequent sexual strangulation - defined as four times per month - can cause cognitive impairment similar to repeated concussion in sports. The effects are cumulative over time, and the long-term implications remain unknown.
Gender Dynamics and Social Pressure
While most studies on strangulation have found a gender divide with men predominantly doing the choking and women being strangled, Tuesday's study presents a more complex picture. It suggests both men and women are almost equally on the receiving end, with about 47% of men and 52% of women having been choked.
However, men were considerably more likely to have carried it out. Jane Meyrick, a chartered health psychologist at the University of the West of England, has encountered young people in tears over the practice, with "young women saying, 'I don't want to be strangled' and young men saying, 'I don't want to do it.'"
Both genders report feeling pressure from pornographic content that presents choking as normal sexual behaviour without critical context.
Legal Changes and Future Solutions
Choking was recently made a specific offence in England and Wales, even if done consensually, as part of domestic abuse legislation. Under the Online Safety Act, porn featuring strangulation or suffocation is due to be criminalised, requiring tech platforms to remove such material.
McGlynn describes the law as a "watershed moment" but notes that enforcement will be crucial. She and other experts are calling for a large-scale national campaign warning of the very real risks, including strokes and brain damage.
The push to criminalise "choking" in pornography follows recommendations from Baroness Bertin's review published in February, which concluded that choking is "the starkest example of where online violent pornography has changed 'offline behaviour.'"
As this dangerous practice continues to spread among teenagers, experts emphasise the urgent need for comprehensive education about sexual consent and the very real physical dangers of practices popularised by extreme online content.
