New research has found that up to 72 per cent of young Queensland women have engaged in ‘choking’ (non-fatal strangulation) during sex.
The research, conducted by the University of Southern Queensland, found that many young people believe that violence is defined by an intent to harm, and that choking is not violence if consent is provided.
However, very few could point accurately to the health risks associated with choking, meaning that any consent was not informed.
Choking is a current trend in young people’s sexual relationships: the practice of erotic asphyxiation by placing one’s hands on one’s partner’s neck in order to reduce blood flow or air supply, with the intention of intensifying sexual pleasure.
The risk of serious physical injury includes laryngeal fractures, upper airway aoedema, and formation of blood clots, among others.
The risk is also cumulative, meaning that the more often one engages in choking, the more likely the risk of harm.
The UniSQ interviews and surveys asked Queensland women and nonbinary people aged 18-25 about their experiences of sexual violence within intimate partnerships.
Worryingly, half of all participants reported that they had experienced sexual violence from a partner.
All could readily identify and define several examples of both sexual violence and other forms of intimate partner violence.
However, they did not tend to consider choking to be an act of violence, except when it was non-consensual.
Social media and pornography both represented influences on young people’s expectations of sexual performance, and this harmful, unregulated exposure was often present before they had the maturity or experience to be able to contextualise these expectations.
UniSQ researchers said that the results indicate an urgent need to help young people understand and practice informed consent, as well as to understand the risks associated with choking.
Such informative exposure would also include supporting young people to seek appropriate resources if they do choose to engage in safe breath play.
Lead researcher Professor Jessica Gildersleeve added that young people should feel safe and supported to ask questions and seek guidance without judgement.
“This is an extraordinarily sex positive generation, but sex positivity includes being empowered with information to make safe choices for oneself,” Professor Gildersleeve said.
This research was conducted by the University of Southern Queensland, Centre for Heritage and Culture, in partnership with Domestic Violence Action Centre, Red Rose Foundation, and Metro North Public Health Unit.
It was funded by an Investing in Queensland Women Grant (Office for Women, Queensland Government).
