Australia discusses normalization of sexual choking among young people — ABC News Australia
In Australia, young people and violence prevention specialists say that choking during sex is increasingly being perceived as a common component of sexual relationships. ABC News Australia reports this following a discussion on Radio National.
Laura Crozier, coordinator of the active consent education project Yeah, Nah, said the practice has become so normalized that it is barely considered unusual anymore. Sydney student Elaquver Spencer said that in her own experience, she had repeatedly had to ask a partner not to choke her. According to her, she even apologized for making such a request.
The influence of sexual content
Violence prevention educator and co-founder of the Breathless campaign Marie Crabb links the spread of the practice to its growing depiction in films, television, pop culture and, above all, pornography. She cited a study according to which the share of choking scenes in popular pornography rose from almost zero in the early 2000s to 15% in 2024.
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Discussion participant Talon, a man in his early 20s who had practised choking with his partners’ consent, said he felt an expectation to follow a certain sexual script. Crabb noted that men and boys most often engage in choking, while women, girls, and sexually and gender-diverse people most often experience it.
Health risks
Marie Crabb stressed that people may underestimate the consequences of pressure on the neck. Among the possible consequences, she named death, memory problems, migraines, impaired vision and hearing, strokes, and miscarriages. According to her, a lack of oxygen to the brain can also affect a person’s ability to make decisions and act during the encounter.
Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek said there is no safe way to choke a person and called for depictions of choking in pornography to be banned. The discussion participants also stressed the need to directly ask partners about their boundaries, comfort, and consent.
