I was once ashamed to admit I’d been strangled nonconsensually during sex. Now I’m speaking up to save women’s lives
Young men are being taught that acts with the potential to kill are erotic. The Albanese government must urgently regulate big tech and criminalise pornography depicting strangulation
TL;DR
- A 16-year-old girl died in Sydney, with police investigating the death as a result of sexual strangulation.
- Research indicates that 57% of Australians aged 18-35 have been strangled during sex, and 51% have strangled a sexual partner.
- Women's Health NSW has seen a 123% increase in women presenting with concerns of brain injury linked to strangulation since 2023.
- Pornography is accused of normalizing potentially fatal acts of strangulation during intimacy, teaching young men that these acts are erotic.
- There is a call for the Albanese government to legislate against the possession or publication of pornography depicting suffocation or strangulation, similar to UK legislation.
- The article also advocates for regulating big tech companies to make algorithms an opt-in feature, giving users more control over content exposure.
- The author emphasizes the need for tangible government action to address violence against women and girls.