{"id":653,"date":"2025-09-26T10:13:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T10:13:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/gjcj\/?p=653"},"modified":"2025-09-29T10:44:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T10:44:09","slug":"white-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.glos.ac.uk\/gjcj\/2025\/09\/26\/white-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"White 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Graduate<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Putting the offender in the spotlight: Identifying common characteristics of non-fatal strangulation perpetrators<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Lisa White, University of Gloucestershire<\/strong><\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup> (lisa_white92@hotmail.co.uk<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download PDF version<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Objective: <\/strong>Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) within intimate partner violence (IPV) has been previously identified as a predictor to domestic homicide. Though NFS signals escalating violence and lethal danger, it often leaves little visible external injury which has historically provided difficulty prosecuting offenders. Due to its hidden nature and lack of research on offenders, little is known about their characteristics and what motivates them to seriously or fatally abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Method: <\/strong>Secondary data from a 2020 NFS victim survey (n= 469) was analysed using a combination of content analysis and thematic analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results: <\/strong>Seven common characteristics were identified, creating a profile of a non-fatal strangulation offender; (1) male gendered perpetrator, (2) current or former intimate partner, (3) history of coercive and controlling behaviour, (4) history of abuse, (5) insecure, (6) pleasured by inducing fear, (7) capable of homicide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion: <\/strong>Findings contribute to understanding the profile of an NFS perpetrator and assist practitioners and policy makers in recognising the life-threatening and traumatic abuse they inflict on their victims. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key words<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Non-fatal strangulation (NFS), domestic abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV), intimate partner femicide (IPF)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statement on AI Use<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I confirm that I have not used AI tools such as ChatGPT or Large Language Models in the writing of this article, production of images or graphical elements of the paper, or in the collection and analysis of data except in the writing process to improve the readability and language of the manuscript.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Coercive Control takes many forms including verbal abuse, intimidation, threats to harm or kill the victim2<\/a><\/sup> and\/or their children or family members, isolation from friends or family, monitoring time or location, humiliating their victim, enforcing arbitrary rules, controlling finances, physical intimidation and assault (CPS, 2023; Johnson 2008).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strangulation is \u201cobstruction of blood vessels and\/or airway by external pressure to the neck resulting in decreased oxygen supply to the brain\u201d (White et al., 2021, pp. 1) and can be inflicted by manual pressure applied to the neck; chokeholds or headlocks, ligatures used with an object to tighten it or and hanging (CPS, 2022a). Death by strangulation can be caused with minimal pressure, comparable to opening a can of cola or a man\u2019s handshake, resulting in loss of consciousness within seconds and brain death within minutes (Jordan et al<\/em>., 2020). Approximately 40% of NFS assaults leave no visible external injury (Boos, 2019). Though even with no visible injury, NFS victims can die from internal damage (Douglas and Fitzgerald, 2022). Injuries associated with NFS include, but are not limited to, vocal and vision damage, hearing and memory loss, breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, paralysis, brain damage, miscarriage (Douglas and Fitzgerald, 2022), strokes and seizures (Boos, 2019). NFS can also have a severe psychological impact, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicidal ideation or intent (Kelly and Ormerod, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) within intimate partner violence (IPV) is a violent form of controlling behaviour and a significant feature of coercive control (Edwards and Douglas, 2022). It is an immediate risk to health and life, as well as significant risk for future serious harm or death (Douglas and Fitzgerald, 2020). <\/a>Successful coercive control requires credible threats and intimidation which create fear (Stansfield and Williams, 2021), showing the victim that the perpetrator has ultimate power to decide if the individual lives or dies (Pritchard et al., 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NFS is a gendered crime, with almost exclusively male perpetrators and female victims (Bichard et al., 2022). NFS often precedes intimate partner femicide (IPF), with women experiencing NFS 7.5 times more likely to later be killed by their abuser (Glass et al., 2008). Between 2018-2020, 214 women across England and Wales were victims of IPF (ONS, 2021), with strangulation being the second most common method of killing (Allen et al., 2020). Researchers and advocates for victims of domestic abuse believe the gendered nature of NFS and IPV is not due to the nature of men being \u2018stronger\u2019 or \u2018more violent\u2019 than women, but because of social inequalities that perpetuate violence against women (Safe Shelter, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Literature review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NFS is not just isolated to IPV, both consensual and non-consensual strangulation during consensual sex has increased in recent years. In the UK, 71% of 2,049 men aged between 18-39 said they had slapped, choked, gagged or spat on their partner during consensual sex, 33% of these men said they would not ask their female partner before doing so (Mackenzie, 2023). More than half of 2,002 UK women surveyed reported that these acts were unwanted, 42% said they felt pressured, coerced or forced, and 20% reported feeling upset or frightened (Savanta ComRes, 2019 cited in Sheehy et al., 2023). Women\u2019s charities, such as We Can\u2019t Consent To This (2021) state there is no safe way to strangle your partner and blame violent pornography and the cultural normalisation of \u2018rough sex\u2019 for increases in women being subjected to violent sexual acts. They argue that this perpetuates ideologies and behaviours related to control and abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women experiencing IPV commonly report being subjected to NFS (Douglas and Fitzgerald, 2022), although it is difficult determine how many women as it is rarely reported to the police or medical practitioners; it is estimated that only 3% do report (HM Government, 2021). However, it is estimated that 20,000 women per year survive an NFS incident (IFAS, 2023). NFS is a powerful and effective violent method of extreme control which increases the risk of IPV becoming lethal (Stansfield and Williams, 2021) and which often causes survivors to alter their behaviour to avoid further violence (White, 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victims of non-fatal strangulation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Victims of abuse will typically experience on average 50 IPV incidents before first seeking help (SafeLives, 2015). Barriers to reporting include fear of retaliation, protection of children, financial dependence on the abuser (Mshweshwe, 2020) and victim-blaming narratives despite remaining in an abusive household often being the safest or only choice available. Although IPV in general and NFS in particular can happen to anyone, women are far more likely than men to be victims with women being an estimated 97% of NFS incidents (White et al., 2021), a fact which is reflected in this study\u2019s focus on female victims of male current or former intimate partners (ONS, 2020). Female victims of male abusers also experience the highest rates of repeated victimisation and most serious injuries or even death (Women\u2019s Aid, 2022). Shared victim characteristics are typically;<\/p>\n\n\n\n