However, sexual choking has gained increasing attention in recent years, particularly in regards to young people.
We would like to acknowledge and thank Giselle Woodley, Sexologist, Lecturer and Research Fellow in Communications and Culture at Edith Cowan University for their support and contribution to this research.
New South Wales police are investigating what led to the girl’s death and have not disclosed the nature of her injuries. But media reports have called it a case of suspected sexual choking.
So, how can we improve safety for teens? Young people we’ve interviewed in our research have told us what they want and need.
So, how can we improve safety for teens? Young people we’ve interviewed in our research have told us what they want and need.
Is porn the problem?
For example, Miles (16) told us more information about how to set up consent boundaries, such as safe words, would help:
But even in situations where both partners confirm consent was given, participants may be charged with a criminal offence as sexual violence perpetrators.
Instead of focusing on who or what is to blame, we need to shift our attention to focus on minimising harm.
Comprehensive education and information increases understanding, allowing teens to make informed decisions, and often leads to less harm.
It’s not a new phenomenon. Records of sexual choking date back to the 18th century. Restricting breathing during sex (breath play) has also long been practised by the BDSM and kink community as a way to intensify sensations, or as part of power exchange.
The bottom line
This response is frequently echoed. However, in our research, teens expressed that the depiction and normalisation of choking has been shaped by a range of media influences, not just porn.
For example, we know criminalisation can increase risks for sex workers, who may be afraid to seek help when they’re in danger or have experienced sexual assault.
Young people need safe avenues to seek support without fear of legal repercussions or stigma. This includes the ability to have open conversations and gain information on sexual activities, including high-risk activities like choking, without judgement.
in my cohort, [sexual choking is] seen as something that’s a bit risky, but a bit cool, […] so there’s a lot of lines that are crossed because they don’t know how to set them up or while there might be safe words, they might not actually know how to [implement them].
Criminalisation may be viewed as a positive step towards addressing sexual violence.
