More Than Half of Young Adults Have Tried Sexual Strangulation With 61% Citing Pornography, Study Finds

More than half of young Australians surveyed reported having been sexually strangled at some point, according to a study published in 2024, with pornography identified as the most commonly reported source of exposure to the practice.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland surveyed 4,702 Australians aged 18 to 35 who had previously had a sexual experience. They found that 57 per cent reported having been sexually strangled at some point, while 51 per cent said they had strangled a partner.

Among those exposed to the practice, 61 per cent said they had encountered it through pornography, ahead of movies, friends and social media.

Prevalence and Methods, What the Study Found

The peer-reviewed research, titled Prevalence of Sexual Strangulation/Choking Among Australian 18–35 Year-Olds, published in July 2024, defined strangulation or choking as pressure on the neck that stops or restricts breathing using hands, other body parts or ties around the neck. The behaviour is also known as breath play or erotic asphyxiation.

The researchers found that 56.9 per cent of participants had ever been strangled, while 50.5 per cent had strangled a partner. Women were more likely than men to report having been strangled, at 61 per cent compared with 43 per cent.

Among participants who identified as trans or gender diverse, the figure rose to 79 per cent, a disparity the researchers said warranted further investigation. Men were more likely to report strangling a partner, at 59 per cent compared with 40 per cent of women.

The most commonly reported method was one-handed strangulation, followed by two-handed strangulation. Pressure on the neck was most commonly rated 4 out of 7 on the study's scale, while some participants reported less or more forceful contact.

The researchers found that consent was not always negotiated in the moment. Some participants who had been strangled or had strangled a partner said consent had instead been agreed during an earlier sexual encounter.

Women were more likely than men to report that they had given consent to be strangled during a previous sexual encounter, at 21.2 per cent compared with 15.2 per cent.

Pornography as the Primary Vector

Pornography was the most commonly reported source of exposure, with 61.3 per cent of participants saying they had encountered depictions of sexual strangulation through pornography. Respondents also cited movies (40.3 per cent), friends (31.9 per cent), social media (31.3 per cent) and potential partners (29.2 per cent).

However, pornography was not identified by a majority of participants as the place where they first heard about sexual strangulation. It was the most common first source, with 34.8 per cent selecting it.

A separate Australian Institute of Criminology study of almost 2,000 heterosexual cisgender Australian men found that more frequent intentional viewing of violent pornography was associated with a small but statistically significant increase in the likelihood of having perpetrated sexual violence.

The researchers found no such association with pornography viewing generally. The findings suggest that the type and frequency of pornography exposure may matter, rather than pornography viewing as a whole. The AIC study was observational and does not establish that violent pornography causes sexual violence.

Its authors note that the relationship can also involve other factors, including pre-existing attitudes and orientations towards sex.

Health Risks Remain Serious

Medical experts have repeatedly warned that strangulation can cause serious harm, including stroke, seizures and brain injury, even when participants regard the activity as consensual.

The Melbourne researchers noted that the amount of pressure applied to the neck does not reliably indicate the level of internal risk, and that serious harm can occur without obvious external injuries.

In England, Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has separately raised concerns about children's exposure to violent pornography.

Her office's 2023 research found references to pornography-style sexual violence, including strangulation and choking, in half of the child sexual abuse cases examined.

The findings come as attention focuses on the death of a 16-year-old Sydney girl following a suspected sexual choking incident. NSW police are investigating, and no arrests or charges have been announced.

The findings add to research suggesting that pornography and other mainstream media are important sources through which young adults encounter sexual strangulation.

The Melbourne researchers said the practice is widespread among young adults and argued that it should not be treated as a niche behaviour, while also highlighting the potential risks associated with strangulation.

The study was cross-sectional, meaning it can establish the prevalence of reported experiences and identify associations, but it cannot establish that pornography exposure caused participants to engage in sexual strangulation.

The findings are likely to add to ongoing debates in Australia and the UK over online safety regulation, sex education and the treatment of violent sexual content online.