On July 1, strangulation assault became a felony in Georgia. Strangulation, or “choking,” is a lethal act that interrupts blood flow, can cause permanent brain damage, loss of consciousness within 10 seconds and death within minutes. Most people aren’t aware of just how dangerous strangulation assault can be, especially since it often leaves no visible injury, or injuries appear later.
In the hours and days after an assault, a victim might experience difficulty breathing and swallowing, changes in their speech, nausea and vomiting, ruptured capillaries in the face, and memory loss. In the months and years following an assault, a victim might experience recurrent headaches, neck pain, cognitive deficits, and seizures.
While strangulation assault can be fatal, death is often not the intended outcome. Instead, abusers — most frequently men — use strangulation as a tool to control a victim. With hands tight around the victim’s neck, a batterer literally controls their next breath. And their message is clear: I could kill you if I wanted to.
The truth is that strangulation assault is highly correlated with eventual homicide. Victims of prior attempted strangulation are eight times more likely to be killed in the future by the same abuser, most often with a firearm.
With strangulation assault now a felony in Georgia, law enforcement officers and prosecutors are better equipped to prevent homicides by holding these dangerous offenders accountable. The Georgia Commission on Family Violence and other statewide partners are training first responders on the signs of strangulation in domestic assaults, providing law enforcement and medical professionals with heightened awareness to successfully document and respond to strangulation.
Of course, an improved criminal justice response helps only a small percentage of victims. A much larger number of victims only disclose their abuse to their friends and family. Because of this, it’s important that we all understand the impact and dangers of strangulation.
Here are some things that you can do to help the people you love and care about, potentially saving their lives.
• Refer victims to services. If someone tells you that their partner put hands around their neck, tell them that you are concerned for their safety. Encourage them to call a local domestic violence program and to seek immediate medical attention. Domestic violence advocacy services include support groups and safety planning and are confidential and free of charge. A person does not have to leave their relationship to access these services. Call Georgia’s 24-hour statewide hotline at 1-800-33-HAVEN to speak with an advocate, or visit the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence at www.gcadv.org to find the nearest program.
• Challenge the messages men use to justify strangulation. Many men have received training in strangulation either directly through the military, law enforcement, self-defense training, or through messages conveyed in ultimate fighting, video games and pornography. We must acknowledge the sources where men learn to use strangulation as a control tactic, and we must counter those messages by requiring that men respect the women and children in their lives.
• Hold men who strangle their partners accountable. When a man puts his hands around the neck of a woman, he is quite literally a potential killer. And since children so frequently witness these atrocious acts of violence, he is also a teacher. We must hold men accountable for their actions and stop the generational cycle of domestic violence.
To learn more, please visit Men Stopping Violence (www.menstoppingviolence.org) or reach out to the Commission (www.gcfv.org) to be connected to a local Domestic Violence Task Force or Family Violence Intervention Program.
