Urgent action needed on sexual choking to stop time bomb of unintended consequences

August 28, 2026 — 4:33pm

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The death of a 16-year-old girl in a suspected case of sexual choking this week has shone a light on a pervasive practice that our society has an urgent duty to address.

Within the past decade, strangulation has rapidly moved from the fringe into a mainstream sex act that young people have become dangerously complacent about.

Research shows more than half of Australians aged 18 to 35 have been strangled at least once during sex, a figure that has risen in line with the ubiquity of violent pornography and misogynistic content.

While it may be normalised, the truth is it is never safe. Even without signs of physical injury or immediate harm, consequences can include incontinence, seizures, stroke, cardiac arrest, paralysis and brain injury.

There are........

© The Sydney Morning Herald