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We welcome the Government’s plans to criminalise depictions of strangulation and suffocation in pornography and to strengthen platform accountability. Pornography does not exist in a vacuum. It shapes attitudes and fuels dangerous behaviours in relationships. We know non-fatal strangulation (NFS) is a known predictor of homicide – victims who have been strangled by a partner are at far higher risk of being killed. The normalisation of these acts is not just degrading and harmful. It can be deadly.
Sexual freedom matters, but it must go hand in hand with safety and consent. In their first relationships, young people are still forming ideas about sex and consent; when pornography normalises strangulation, it sets dangerous expectations, fuels pressure to comply and puts them at real risk of harm. Baroness Bertin’s review this year highlights how prevalent strangulation content is and reports boys as young as ten asking teachers how to choke girls during sex. That is why this change in the law is so important.
Under amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, it will become a criminal offence to possess or publish pornography that depicts strangulation or suffocation. Platforms will be required to detect and remove this material proactively, with Ofcom able to enforce compliance under the Online Safety Act. This treats depictions of strangulation as a priority harm in line with other illegal content.
Strangulation is a serious form of domestic abuse and coercive control.
There were more than 40,000 reported incidents of non-fatal strangulation and suffocation in 2023–24. It is happening in real homes and real relationships. And it is being excused as part of “rough sex,” particularly among young people: 35% of those aged 16–34 report being strangled or choked at least once during consensual sex.
We echo the words of Bernie Ryan, CEO of the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS): there is no safe way to strangle someone. Whilst it may leave no visible injury, it can cause loss of consciousness, cognitive and memory problems and emotional dysregulation. It can lead to stroke or death, even weeks later. Victims cannot consent to the long-term harmful effects of these acts.
This is a significant moment for campaigners, survivors and bereaved families who have worked tirelessly for change. We thank them for their persistence in calling out violent pornography and its impact on relationships. Today, the Government has heard those voices and is acting.
We are proud to work in close partnership with the Institute For Addressing Strangulation (IFAS). Together, we have developed specialist non-fatal strangulation training. It equips professionals to recognise the signs, assess risk and respond with confidence, because missed opportunities cost lives.
We are also collaborating with IFAS and our Changemakers on ‘Take A Breath’, a project exploring young people’s views on sex, pleasure, choking and consent. Their voices are shaping new training for teachers, youth workers and healthcare staff so adults understand what matters most to young people and can respond safely and confidently.
These legal changes send an important signal, but laws alone are not enough. We need consistent enforcement, stronger action from platforms and sustained investment in education, prevention and frontline training. That is how we protect adult and child survivors and support young people to grow up with healthy, respectful ideas about sex, consent and relationships.
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